Through Clouded Eyes of Red
by Eternal Headache
Summary: A look at what might have happened had Jason and Tommy's positions been reversed.
1. Chapter 1

This has been kicking around in my head for a while now after reading UnromanticPoetess's brilliant re-write of the Green Ranger saga and I finally couldn't resist. For some reason, I've developed a thing for dark Jason and I wanted to try switching roles between him and Tommy. Not colors though. In this AU, Tommy is still Green Ranger, but he is the leader. Instead of the Green Coin being lost to Rita, it was the red. Like Jason in canon (or what seems to be accepted as canon), Tommy and the others have known each other for a good portion of their lives and Tommy and Kim are together and have been for a few years.

With this reversal, it means that the MegaZord is not in play and that Zord fights are done either separately or through DragonZord in battle mode

Now, this will not just be a scene for scene rewrite with Jason and Tommy reversed. While some situations, such as the tournament and the destruction of the Command Center will still occur, I'm going to try to make this as different as possible. For anyone looking for a follow up to  
Power Trip, it's going to be a while. This fic has taken over my focus completely.

Title: Through Clouded Eyes of Red

Synopsis: A look at what might have happened had Jason and Tommy's  
positions been reversed.

Rating: M for violence and sexual activity

Other warnings; not beta'd

Disclaimer: Power Rangers and all things associated with them belong to  
Saban. All hail Saban.

Feedback greatly appreciated.

Part 1

'Breathe in, breath out. Breathe in, breathe out. Be calm and in control. Let nothing distract you.' Jason Lee Scott silently repeated the mantra over and over again, easily ignoring the excited chatter of the tournament spectators and focused on mentally preparing for the final match. As tournaments went, it hadn't been too difficult to reach the final spot. Angel Grove didn't seem to have a lot of hard core martial artists, which was a little disappointing. He'd been hoping for a decent challenge, like what New York and Chicago had offered. Man, those had been some fantastic fights!

'Oh well, not everywhere can be a hot spot,' he thought.

As the announcement for the final match was called out, Jason opened his eyes and scanned the Youth Center, dark eyes coming to rest on a group of teens surrounding a long haired boy in green who was to be his opponent. Tommy Oliver, according to the announcer, reigning champion extraordinaire. Jason smirked a little. Soon to be *former* champion if he had anything to say about it.

His gaze shifted and met the almond eyes of an attractive Asian girl dressed in yellow and a little shiver raced down his spine. 'Hm,' he thought as he smiled in greeting and she returned it with a little blush, 'this may not be a total bust after all.'

First things first though. He moved onto the mat and stood opposite Tommy, listening to the referee go through the obliquity rules while sizing the other boy up. Tommy was obviously doing the same and, as their eyes met, he felt something stir deep within him. It was a strange feeling of familiarity, like he had known this other boy all his life even though this was the first time he had ever laid eyes on him. From the startled expression in Tommy's eyes, he was experiencing a similar feeling. Then the referee was calling for them to begin, and all that mattered was the fight.

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Rita Repulsa had been having a delightful nap in her rocking chair when something woke her. Frowning, she looked around, trying to discover the source of what had disturbed her, expecting it to be one of her idiot minions. All was silent, however, and her frown deepened. What had awakened her? Closing her eyes, she opened her mind, trying to sense what was wrong. 'Hmm, everything seems to be…wait! What is that?' she thought as she finally felt the caresses of a distantly familiar power coming from somewhere deep within the castle. Unable to remember what it was, she moved closer to it, trying to identify it.

Her eyes flew open and she gasped, coming quickly to her feet. After all this time, could it really be? "Goldar!" she screamed as she hurried into the throne room. "Goldar! Where are you?"

"What is it, Empress?" Goldar asked, alarm in his voice and sword in his hand as he rushed in, eyes darting about for any threat.

"It's calling out, Goldar, it's calling!" Rita answered excitedly as she swiftly made her way over to a well secured cabinet, pulling out a set of keys. She shoved three keys into three separate locks, muttered an incantation, then turned each one in succession. The door unlocked and she threw it open, carefully searching the contents as Goldar stood by in confusion.

"What are you looking for, Empress?" he finally asked as Finster, Squatt and Babboo all quietly entered, drawn by the excited shouting of their queen.

Rita didn't answer, muttering to herself as she tried to find the object of her desire. After a few minutes, she let out a cry of triumph and turned away from the cabinet, a small red box with the image of a creature imprinted on it held carefully in her hands. Goldar drew in a quick breath. "My Queen! Is that...?"

"Yes, Goldar, it is," Rita breathed back in reply, setting the box gently down on a table and caressing it reverently.

Finster moved in for a closer look and gasped. "Oh, my!"

"What?" Squatt asked, exchanging a confused look with Babboo. "What's in the box?"

"The Red Ranger Coin," Finster whispered, and both minions froze, looks of awe coming over their faces. "My Queen," Finster continued, "Has...has it finally chosen?"

"I believe so," Rita replied. "Can you feel it calling out?" She looked up and toward the balcony that overlooked the Earth. "After all these centuries of silence, it's finally chosen its wielder. I guess I shouldn't be surprised it's an Earthling considering the holders of the other Coins. But why now?" she mused. "There have been many teams over the centuries on many worlds, why would it choose *Earth* of all places?"

"Whoever its chosen must be a strong and worthy warrior," Goldar said, drifting closer to the box. Rita looked up and nodded. "Let's find out." She reached out and opened the box, revealing the Red Tyrannosaurus Coin, which was glowing softly. The Morphing device rested next to it, waiting to be joined with the Coin.

Picking the box up, she carried it over to the balcony, carefully handing it over to Goldar before peering through her telescope. "Whoever it's reacting to is probably with the Rangers right now," she murmured as she searched Angel Grove for the brats who had quickly become the bane of her existence. She found them in the Youth Center where a martial arts tournament was being held and was just in time to witness a truly fantastic fight between Tommy and a boy clad in red. The Coin glowed brighter and practically sung in her mind as she watched, indicating that this boy was the one it wanted.

"Outstanding," Rita breathed as she watched. "It would appear that Tommy has finally met his match. No wonder the Coin is so excited. Finster! Get some Putties ready! We'll see how this boy does against them. Make sure he really *is* worthy of the Tyrannosaurus Coin and that this isn't just a false alarm."

"My Queen," Goldar spoke hesitantly as Finster hurried to obey. "Do you think it wise to use one of their own kind against them? So much could go wrong. Zordon, for instance, won't he be able to identify who has taken on the power of the Red Ranger?"

Rita huffed in annoyance. "Then we'll simply get rid of him. As a Ranger, this..." She paused. What was the boy's name? Jaden...Justin...Jason...yes, Jason, that was it. "As a Ranger, Jason will be able to access the Command Center. Before his big debut, he'll slip into the Command Center and take care of Zordon and his bucket of bolts sidekick so that they can't spoil the fun. Without their precious mentor, the Rangers will be completely lost." She glared at Goldar, who took a step back. "Done carefully and *competently,* we're sure to have found the secret to defeating those brats!"

Goldar bowed, handing the box back to Rita who closed it and held it protectively close to her body. "As you wish, my Queen. I will make preparations for his capture immediately." Turning, he left the throne room and his queen to her plans.

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Jason stood before his newly assigned locker, studying his new class schedule critically. Math, double history then lunch followed by science, shop and gym. 'Could be worse,' he thought. 'Could be double math.' At least he had already missed that one for the day. Plus, today was Friday. God bless the madness of transferring mid semester.

"Jason right?"

He looked up to find his opponent from the previous day, Tommy, standing next to him, a friendly smile on his lips. Once again, that odd feeling of familiarity passed between them as Jason smiled back. "Hey Tommy," he greeted.

"You finding your way around all right?" Tommy asked, appearing pleased that Jason had remembered his name.

With a wry grin, Jason nodded to his locker and said, "So far, I've found the office and my locker. Haven't had the pleasure of finding any classes yet."

"What do you have next?"

"Double history," Jason replied with a quick glance at his schedule to make sure.

"You're in luck," Tommy said, gesturing to a black boy headed toward them. "Zack here has that class now, right Zack?"

"Yup. The thrilling life of Benjamin Franklyn continues," Zack replied with a grin. He held out his hand. "Zack Taylor."

"Jason Scott," Jason replied, taking Zack's hand as a small brunette bounced up to them. "Hey guys!"

"Hey beautiful," Tommy replied, slipping an arm around her shoulders and kissing her cheek. Looking back at Jason, he said, "This is my girlfriend, Kimberly Hart. Kim, this is Jason Scott."

Kim smiled brightly and took Jason's hand. "Nice to meet you. You were amazing at the tournament yesterday. I've never seen anyone who could keep up with Tommy like you did."

Jason smiled, a hint of color tinting his cheeks. "Thanks. Feeling is mutual, actually," he replied, gaze sliding back to Tommy. The bell rang and Jason turned to grab his history books and closed his locker.

"We'll see you guys at lunch," Tommy said as he and Kim headed off.

"Later," Zack replied before turning his attention to Jason and pointing in the opposite direction. "Come on, this way."

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When lunch time came, Jason and Zack dropped off their things in their lockers, then Zack showed Jason where the lunch room was. After getting their lunch, Zack scanned the cafeteria, then smiled and gestured for Jason to follow. He led the way to a table where Tommy and Kim sat with a boy dressed in blue and the pretty Asian girl Jason remembered from the previous day. Tommy looked up and smiled.

"Hey guys," he greeted as the pair sat down. "Jason, this is Billy Cranston and Trini Kwan. Guys, this is Jason."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance. Your performance yesterday was exemplary and far exceeded the expectations of the masses."

Jason blinked as the boys grinned and the girls giggled. "He says you were impressive," Trini translated.

"Oh," Jason replied, amusement flickering through his eyes. "Thanks."

"How was history?" Tommy asked and as Zack launched into details, Jason took the opportunity to study his new companions. Tommy he felt like he'd known his whole life. Zack seemed like a fun guy to hang out with and Billy...well, Billy was obviously a super brain. Jason was a little surprised that someone so smart was hanging out with this bunch instead of other super brains. Ditto for the obvious cheerleader, Kimberly, who looked like she would fit in better at the table being shared by what had to be the popular girls. On the other hand, it meant a high tolerance school which pleased him. He hated bullies and he was happy to see such a diverse group of friends.

Then there was Trini, who had to be pretty smart herself considering how easily she had translated what Billy had said. He glanced at her whenever he thought she wasn't looking, hoping that he'd get the chance to get to know her better. There was something about her...

"So, Jason, where are you from?"

His attention was dragged back to the conversation to find everyone looking at him in interest. He chuckled and said, "Easier to ask where I'm not from." At the confused looks, he added, "Army brat. Dad's been steadily climbing the ladder to the top for years and, as a result, takes a lot of promotions that require relocating. You name the place and I've probably lived there for a while."

"Must be hard always moving around," Trini commented and Jason shrugged. "It has its ups and downs. I've got friends all over the country and a few overseas, a lot of whom I still keep in touch with. Also gave me a chance to study with a lot of different martial arts masters."

"It showed when we fought yesterday," Tommy said with a nod. "Man, you have some really awesome moves! If you have time, you should come to the Youth Center after school. It's where we all go most days. We could spar."

"I'd like that," Jason replied with a quick glance at Trini.

The rest of lunch was spent mostly with Jason talking about the places he'd lived and people he'd met. When the bell to return to classes rang, he headed off to science with Billy and Kim, looking forward to the end of the day and the planned get together at the Youth Center.

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When the day ended, Jason had been called to the office to deal with some administration stuff and so had told Tommy he would meet them at the Youth Center as soon as he could. Once he was done there, he left the school and started the walk, heading through the park. It was there that he learned the strange rumors regarding Angel Grove and monsters weren't simple rumors.

Out of nowhere a group of gray...things appeared, making strange noises as they danced and darted around him. Dropping his bag, Jason quickly moved into a defensive stance, trying to keep track of all the strange beings moving around him. When, after a moment nothing happened, Jason shouted, "Well? What do you want?" That seemed to be their signal and. One moved in and attacked him, then the rest joined in.

What followed was a fast paced and, if Jason really wanted to admit it, exhilarating fight. He had quickly discovered that holding back, like he would with a normal opponent, was not a good idea with these things. So, he took the opportunity and cut loose, putting his training to use as he was meant to. He used combinations of kicks and punches that would have been deadly to mere human opponents and, while they didn't seem deadly for these things, they did go down and stay down.

When it was over, Jason was surrounded by twitching bodies, which he eyed carefully as he took a moment to catch his breath. 'Better get out of here,' he thought as he grabbed his bag, never taking his eyes off the gray beings lest one or more of them suddenly try to attack him again. 'Wonder if I should tell someone. Maybe the guys at the Youth Center will know what to do.' He turned to hurry away but stopped in his tracks, eyes widening at the sight before him. A few feet away stood what appeared to be a six foot ape man of some kind clad in gold armor, wielding a lethal looking sword.

The ape laughed as it looked at the bodies of Jason's attackers. "Well done, Jason. Very well done. Very few humans could do what you just did. It would appear the Coin chose well."

Jason took a step back, heart racing. Whatever this thing was, it knew his name and he *really* didn't like what it just said. "What the hell are you taking about?" he asked, hoping his voice was steadier than it sounded. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

"I am Goldar and you, Jason of Earth, have been chosen. Come! Our Queen awaits!"

Before Jason could say or do anything, Goldar thrust his sword into the air, there was a blinding flash of light and then all went dark.

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Tommy sat a table with Kim and Trini, half listening to Kim tease Trini about Jason's obvious interest in her. Most of his attention, however, was focused on the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what. Had he forgotten to do something? That wouldn't be unusual for him but he couldn't think of anything really important that he was supposed to do. No birthdays, no anniversaries, no super important school project coming due... So what was affecting him? He frowned, one possibility coming to mind. Quietly excusing himself, he left the table and headed for the quiet alcove the Rangers like to usewhen they needed privacy.

Glancing around to make sure he was alone, he activated his communicator and said, "Zordon, it's Tommy, come in please."

There was a brief pause, then Zordon's voice answered. "Yes, Tommy, go ahead."

"I've got a weird feeling, Zordon. Is everything okay there and in Angel Grove?"

"Everything is fine in the Command Center, Tommy," Zordon replied. "One moment while we scan Angel Grove." Tommy waited semi patiently, eyes scanning the area for unwanted company. Finally, Zordon said, "All appears to be well in the city, Tommy. We registered a brief disturbance in the Grid about half an hour ago, but it appears to have been nothing. All is quiet."

The reassurance didn't do much for the feeling in Tommy's stomach, but he nodded anyway. "All right. Just keep a close eye on things, would you? Something feels wrong."

"Acknowledged."

Tommy ended the communication and headed back to the table. Hopefully, Jason would show up soon and he could distract himself with a good spar.

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Rita slowly circled her prize, taking in every detail in admiration. He lay complacently on Finister's medical table, staring vacantly at the ceiling. She had been forced to put him into a trance when, shortly after Goldar returned with him, he'd awakened and went berserk, breaking quite a few objects and injuring Babboo when scientist had foolishly gotten in his way. After being patched up, he's scampered off with Squatt to hide somewhere while the real work was being done.

"He's even more magnificent in person," she breathed as she lightly ran a finger down his cheek. "After that show in the park, I can't wait to see how he handles the other Rangers." She looked up as Goldar entered. "Is everything prepared?"

"Yes, my Queen," Goldar replied, bowing respectfully.

"Excellent, bring him and follow me."

Goldar gathered Jason up and followed Rita to the room she used for her most complicated spell casting. He lay Jason down on the floor in the center of a ring of candles, then quickly left as Rita took her own place. Closing her eyes, she began the long process of chanting and calling upon the powers that she needed to aid her. Hours went by as she weaved spell after spell over Jason, slowly bringing him under her control. When she at last reached a critical point, she reached out and put a gentle hand on Jason's chest, leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Jason, can you hear me?"

"Yes," came the quiet reply.

"Do you know what is happening to you?"

"No. I'm...afraid."

"Don't be," she breathed, gently stroking his hair. "No harm will come to you. You have been chosen, Jason, to receive great power. Power that an elite few possess. Listen carefully while I tell you the story of a war that has been fought for many centuries."

Rita spent the next few hours telling Jason all about Zordon and the Power Rangers and the war they had been fighting for ages. She, of course, painted herself in a far more favorable light and, by the end of the story, could sense that she had almost full control over the boy. "What do you say, Jason?" she whispered. "Will you become my warrior, my Red Ranger and help me finally put an end to this accursed war once and for all?"

There was a moment of silence and then the quiet reply, "I will. I will take the power and serve you, my Empress, for the rest of my days."

Rita smiled, her heart leaping in victorious joy. "Excellent."

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Jason had never felt more incredible than he did right then. Not even the high of winning a tough tournament fight could compare to the feelings currently flooding his body. He gazed at the Power Coin Empress Rita had given him, taking in every detail of it, feeling an intense physical connection to it. The Coin was part of him now, and he knew that to be parted from it would likely mean death. He would have to protect this Coin with everything he had to ensure that it was never taken from him.

He looked at the device that was supposed to hold the Coin. The…Morpher. Empress Rita had explained that by putting the two together and calling out Tyrannosaurus that he would then become the fearsome Red Ranger. "Go ahead, Jason." He looked up to find Empress Rita watching him, Goldar behind her. She nodded to the items in his hand. "Place the Coin in the Morpher and calling upon the power of the Tyrannosaurus."

Nodding, Jason placed the Coin in the slot then, instinct taking over, he raised the Morpher and shouted, "Tyrannosaurus!" The world exploded in red light and the power that he had felt in his body reared up and consumed him. He gasped as a state euphoria settled over him and opened eyes he didn't remember closing only to find he was now viewing the world from behind some kind of visor. Reaching up, he felt a helmet on his head and then noticed that white gloves now encased his hands. Turning, he found a mirror and found himself in the uniform of a Red Power Ranger, whom he had seen footage of on the news before.

Rita laughed in delight. "Excellent, Red Ranger, excellent! How do you feel?"

"Like I could take on an entire army by myself," Jason replied, then his eyes widened in alarm. Army! His parents! "Aw man! What time is it? What *day* is it?"

"Saturday, around twelve in the afternoon," Goldar answered. "Why?"

"My parents!" Jason replied frantically. "They must be going nuts!"

"Relax, Jason," Rita said soothingly. "Your parents revived a message that you were spending the night and day with...new friends. They are not worried for you." As she watched him relax, she made a mental note to keep an eye on the whole 'family' situation. It wouldn't do to have a servant with divided loyalties after all. "Now, Jason, power down and come with me. I have something for you to see."

"Red Ranger, power down!" Jason commanded, again going on instinct. He then followed Empress Rita and Goldar back into the throne room, where Rita sat down, muttered something in a language Jason didn't understand, then waved her hand. In the middle of the room, multiple images appeared of the Power Rangers fighting various monsters. With another muttered word and wave of her hand, a chair appeared in front of the images.

"Sit, Jason, and watch these images. I want you to study each and every Ranger. Learn everything you can about them and then I will tell you the most important detail of all."

Jason nodded and obeyed the command, sitting and focusing all of his attention on the images playing before him. He spent the next several hours riveted to the images, Rita patiently playing back scenes when he asked, taking in every detail that he could. When he finally finished, he sat in contemplative silence, frowning as he thought.

After a while, Rita asked, "Well, Jason, what did you learn?"

Jason stood to face her, still frowning thoughtfully. "A lot, my Queen," he murmured.

"What's on your mind, Red Ranger?"

Jason hesitated, then said, "It's strange but the Green Ranger...the way he fights and moves. I recognize it. I think...I think I know who he is."

"Oh?" Rita questioned, tilting her head a little. "And how would you know this?"

"Every fighter has his own style, his own way of moving that's distinctly his own," Jason explained. "Like a signature." Jason's focus turned inward as he reviewed his memories before nodding confidently. "I've fought him before, I'm sure of it."

"Very well, who do you believe the secret identity of the Green Ranger to be then?" Rita asked with interest.

"Tommy. Tommy Oliver," Jason answered without hesitation.

Rita smiled. "Very good," she purred. "Yes, Tommy Oliver is, indeed, the Green Ranger, leader of the group and an extreme pain in my neck. Care to take a guess at who the rest of them are?"

"Well," Jason replied slowly, "I haven't seen the rest of them fight but, based on how close they all are, I'd have to say that Zack Taylor, Kimberly Hart, Billy Cranston and Trini Kwan." He felt a stab of regret at the mention of Trini's name and a part of him hoped that he was wrong. It would be a deep shame to have to kill such a pretty thing like her.

"Impressive," Goldar murmured as Rita favored Jason with a delighted smile. "Very good, Jason," she praised. "You've met them all, I assume?"

Jason nodded. "At school yesterday," he confirmed.

"Good. Now, what I want you to do is get close to them. Become a trusted friend and by that, I don't simply mean to their civilian identities. You will stumble upon their Ranger identities, likely during an attack. I'm calling in an old friend, Scorpina, who will help you with this. Once you have 'accidentally' learned their secret, they will take you to meet Zordon, who will swear you to secrecy. My magic will ensure that he does not sense you as a Ranger. Not until it is too late anyway. Knowing their secret will guarantee you complete infiltration and will allow you to develop close friendships with them. I especially want you to get as close as you can to Tommy. I've never met a Ranger leader harder to kill than that little upstart. By becoming a close friend, he'll never see you coming as the instrument of his destruction."

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Jason quoted and Rita nodded approvingly.

"Exactly. Now, one more thing before you return to Earth. No matter how much you may be tempted, *do not* morph and try to engage the Rangers until I tell you to. I want you established in their tight little circle before the Red Ranger makes his first appearance. Understand?"

Jason nodded. "Yes, my Empress. I will not disappoint you."

Rita smiled and reached out, lightly running a finger down his cheek. "I know you won't."


	2. Chapter 2

Deepest thanks to Griddlebone for the beta work!

Part 2

Sunday afternoon found the Rangers in the park, challenging each other on the basketball court or throwing a Frisbee around. Currently, the boys were trying to outdo each other on the court while Kim and Trini tossed the Frisbee to each other. As Trini threw it to Kim, the wind caught it and spun it away from her, causing it to land before a boy clad in red, who bent down to pick it up.

"Hey!" Kim called with a smile as she recognized Jason Scott, catching the attention of the other Rangers. Jason smiled back as he walked up to the girls. "Think you lost something," he said, handing the Frisbee back.

"Thanks," Kim replied as the boys hurried up to join them.

"Jason!" Tommy greeted, clapping the other boy on the shoulder. "We missed you at the Youth Center on Friday."

"Yeah, sorry, something came up at home," Jason replied. "Everything's fine," he added quickly, seeing the Rangers' concerned looks. "Just drama with the kid brother, nothing serious."

"Cool. Wanna join us? We're just messing around on the court," Tommy invited and Jason smiled. "Yeah, sounds fun." He joined the boys on the court and, for the next few hours, alternated between playing with them and tossing the Frisbee with Kim and Trini**. **After a while, they decided to head to the Youth Center for some smoothies and, much to his delight, Jason found himself several steps behind the others, walking with Trini. Just because he would eventually have to kill the girl didn't mean he couldn't try to make some time with her now. "So, how long have you lived here?" he asked, deciding to go for one of the more common ice breakers.

"All my life pretty much," Trini replied. "We moved here when I was very young. Most of us have been here since early childhood. Zack moved here when he was six, I think."

"Must be pretty, uh, exciting living in a city that's ground zero for monster attacks," Jason commented and Trini smiled.

"Understatement. It helps to have some knowledge in self-defense."

"So you have some skills?"

"We all do, though some of us are more into it than others," Trini replied with an amused look at Tommy's back. Jason grinned and was about to reply when an alarmed call from up ahead drew their attention. The others had stopped and dropped into fighting stances and, looking past them, Jason saw a group of the gray beings from the palace-Putties, he remembered-dancing and tumbling around.

"Jason!" Tommy called back but before he could finish what he was about to say, Jason interjected, "I'm with you guys!"

Tommy glanced at him as he and Trini joined them and said, "You sure? Putties can pack a real wallop."

Jason nodded and gave Tommy a cheeky grin. "Been dying for a good fight for days."

"Don't under estimate these clay heads," Tommy warned just before the first of the gray beings attacked and the group launched themselves into the fight.

Jason made sure to hold back just enough so that he wouldn't appear as anything more than an ordinary human, though it was difficult with the power he could feel within his body. It was frustrating forcing himself to hold back when all he wanted to do was cut loose and tear his opponents apart. He wanted to fight unrestricted...without limits. He wanted to morph.

In fact, he was about three seconds away from doing just that when a cry of pain reached his ears. Looking around, he spotted Trini being hauled up from the ground by a couple of putties, a dazed look in her eyes.

"Trini!" someone shouted and, another glance around revealed that the others were bogged down and unable to get to their friend. Except for him. 'Convenient,' he thought with an inward grin as he hurried over to intercept and free the Yellow Ranger.

He dispatched the two putties quickly, catching Trini as she started to fall back to the ground and lowering her more gently. Kneeling down and keeping careful watch for attacks, he asked, "You okay?"

Trini nodded, then winced and focused her attention on her right ankle. "Think I hurt my ankle," she murmured reaching out to gingerly probe the appendage in question

Jason was stopped from responding as a couple more putties came at them. He stood up and focused on defending Trini, getting some help a moment later as Zack managed to make his way over to them. A few minutes after that, the putties vanished and the teens all clustered together around Trini as Jason carefully examined her injured ankle. He looked up and smiled at her after a moment.

"You'll be okay. It's just sprained, not broken. We better get you somewhere to take care of it before it becomes a problem, though."

"The Youth Center is closest," Tommy said. "Ernie keeps medical supplies on hand because of all the gymnastics and martial arts that go on there."

Jason nodded and stood, carefully helping Trini up and supporting her, Zack quickly taking the other side so that she wouldn't have to put pressure on the injury. "All right, let's go then."

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Trini watched as Jason expertly wrapped her ankle, a grateful look in her eyes. He'd done everything that could be done, even insisting on wrapping it himself. "Do you know a lot about first aid?" she questioned after a few minutes and Jason glanced up, pausing to catch her gaze before smiling a little and looking back at her ankle.

"Well, I'm no doctor or anything, but I do know my way around a medical kit. Both my parents were pretty insistent that I know how to handle injuries. I'm about as skilled as a combat field medic."

Trini's eyes widened. "Wow, that's pretty impressive, Jason! An expert martial artist _and_ a medic. What else can you do?"

Jason paused, then looked up at her with a little grin. "How bout I tell you during dinner this Friday? Maybe followed by a movie?"

Trini's heart gave a little jump, and she hoped she wasn't blushing as much as she thought she was as she favored him with a little smile and a nod. "Sure. I'd like that."

She looked up at snickering from the next table over and found her friends giving her wide, stupid grins, indicating that they had obviously been listening in. Jason glanced over his shoulder, smirked, then finished with the bandaging, gently holding her foot as he asked, "How's that feel?"

Trini stopped glaring at the other table and looked down at her foot, gently turning it to make sure the bandage wasn't too tight. She nodded. "Feels fine. Thanks."

"Good." Jason patted the foot, then sat back in his chair and said, "You're going to want to get some crutches and stay off it as much as possible. Luckily, it's not a serious sprain so it shouldn't take a long time to heal."

As Trini smiled her thanks, Tommy stood and clapped Jason on the shoulder. "Up for a light spar?" he asked, nodding toward the mats.

"Yeah, sure," Jason replied, standing and giving Trini a wink before following Tommy to the mats. Trini turned her glare back on the other table, which seemed to cow Zack and Billy who both quickly looked away, but had no effect on Kimberly. She immediately moved over, an excited grin on her lips and pulled Trini into a hushed discussion that resulted in nearly continuous giggles.

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"I'm home!" Jason called later that evening, closing the front door and hanging up his jacket. He headed into the kitchen where his mother was busily preparing dinner and kissed her cheek before grabbing some plates to help set the table.

"How was your day, son?" his father asked, glancing up from the paper he was reading at the table.

"Excellent," Jason replied with a wide grin. "Got a date for Friday night."

"That was fast," Eric, his twelve year old brother, commented as he entered the kitchen and plopped down at the table. "Who's your latest conquest?"

"She's not a 'conquest' brat," Jason replied even as he mentally admitted that she was. "Her name's Trini. She hangs with those other people I was telling you about," he added, directing his words to his parents, who were looking at him with interest. "Pretty, _really_ smart and she's into various forms of martial arts."

"Sounds like your ideal girl," his dad said with a smile, returning his attention to the paper.

"You should invite her over sometime soon," his mother added. "We'd love to meet the girl who's given you that look in your eyes."

"Look?" Jason questioned. "What look?"

His mother smiled as she sauntered over to his father and wrapped her arms around him, looking down at him lovingly. "The same look your father always wore when he looked at me back when we were dating."

Mr. Scott chuckled as he covered her hands with one of his. "Your mother's talking about the 'love at first sight' look," he explained. "One that I'm fairly certain I _still _wear when I look at you and will until the day I die," he added, looking up at Mrs. Scott who smiled and leaned down  
to kiss him.

His brother made gagging noises, but Jason smiled as he watched his parents, grateful that, after all the years they had been together, they were still very much in love. He hoped to have that himself one day. Possibly with Trini.

Only he wouldn't. Trini was the enemy and he was going to have to kill her sooner or later. 'But I don't want to,' he thought, suddenly overcome with intense sadness. 'The path I'm on with Empress Rita...it's wrong. I don't want to hurt Trini or my family and if I keep going this way, I will.'

He squeezed his eyes shut, struggling with a force deep within him that was telling him to stop thinking such things. That he belonged to Empress Rita and _must_ obey her.

'No!' he thought, only partly aware of his mother's concerned voice. 'No, please! Leave me alone! I don't want to serve Rita, I don't!' He felt a hand grip his shoulder and heard his father's voice, but he was too busy fighting the force within him to respond. 'Let me go! I won't obey, I won't!' he thought.

'You must!' the force answered back angrily and Jason cried out as pain flared in his head. He dropped to his knees, aware of his parents' frantic voices calling to him, but he could not respond. It was taking all his energy to fight the thing trying to control him...trying to bring him back into slavery. He couldn't spare a single ounce of energy or he would lose. He couldn't lose this fight for his mind. Too much depended on it.

He would. Not. LOSE!

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Rita gasped, tearing her attention away from the spell book she was reading and turning her focus inward as she became aware of something dreadfully wrong. She opened her mind, searching for the source and then gasped again as she realized what was happening. "No!" she hissed. "He's fighting me! Why is he fighting me? What's going on?"

Hurrying to the balcony, she peered through her telescope and found Jason on the floor of his kitchen, frantic parents calling to him as he fought her control. "No! Goldar! Goldar!"

"What's wrong, my Queen?" Goldar asked, once again rushing in looking ready for a fight.

"It's Jason!" Rita exclaimed. "I'm losing him!"

"What? How is that possible?"

"It's just a guess, but I'm betting his damn family has something to do with it," Rita growled. "I'm going to have to try a different approach with him. Come, Goldar! We must get down there before it's too late!"

"Should we take some putties?" Goldar asked as he quickly joined his queen.

"No, there's no time. This is something you and I can handle on our own." Raising her wand, Rita silently commanded it to teleport her and Goldar to Jason's location. They arrived less than a second later, causing a young boy to yell out and drop the phone he had just picked up.

"Who are you?" Jason's father demanded, quickly moving in front of his wife and sons. His wife started screaming and clutching at the young boy the second she caught sight of Goldar and Jason slowly looked up from his position on the floor, his eyes widening in fear when he saw Rita and Goldar. "N...no," he breathed. "G-go away! I...I won't obey!"

"Everyone be silent! You're giving me a headache!" Rita snapped, raising her wand. There was a flash of light and the humans all went silent, staring blankly at her. Sighing in relief, Rita looked down at Jason, who had collapsed in a heap. "Goldar, take Jason back to the Palace and place him in my spell room. I'll join you shortly."

"Yes, my Queen," Goldar replied, gathering Jason up and vanishing.

Rita turned her attention back to Jason's family and smiled almost kindly at them. "Do not fear, no harm will come to the boy. I have great need of him and you should be proud that he was chosen to serve me. Unfortunately, you remaining in his life is a problem." Her wand began  
glowing as she started whispering an incantation. She released the magic and, as it spread throughout the house, she said, "Jason does not exist and never did. You have only one son, do you understand?"

The trio of humans nodded, all traces of Jason disappearing from their minds, the magic erasing and altering everything in the house that had to do with him. The things in his room vanished, teleported up to a room in the Palace that would become his. Once all traces of Jason had been erased, both physically and within the minds of his family, Rita gave them a pleasant smile and nod of her head. "Enjoy your dinner."

Returning to the Palace, she hurried to her spell room where Goldar waited with Jason, who was awake and being held against a wall with bands of energy. He was struggling violently against the bonds, demanding furiously to be released. "Enough Jason," Rita said calmly, her wand emitting another burst of light which effectively silenced him.

Unable to vocalize, he stared at her with wild eyes filled with both fear and defiance. Shaking her head, Rita approached him and put a gentle hand on his cheek. "Calm yourself, my Ranger, it's okay. No harm is going to come to you." Seeing a question in his eyes, she smiled and added, "Your family is safe and will remain so. No harm will come to them either." She moved her hand so that it passed over his eyes, casting a spell of sleep. "Now sleep, Jason," she whispered, watching his eyes flutter closed and his body go limp. "Sleep and when you wake, all will be well."

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"Ai yi yi!" Alpha muttered, pressing buttons and checking readouts. "Where is it coming from?"

"What is the matter, Alpha?" Zordon asked, gazing down at his assistant in concern.

"I don't know," Alpha replied. "The Grid picked up some kind of disturbance but I can't locate the source." He paused, pressed some more buttons and checked the readouts. "Ai yi yi! Now it's saying everything is fine! That's the second time in a matter of days that this has happened. Rita *must* be up to something!"

"Agreed, but until she makes a more obvious move, all we can do is continue to monitor Angel Grove."

"Yes, Zordon," Alpha replied and turned back to his work.

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Detroit, MI: One year ago:

Jason struggled to control his breathing as he ran full out as hard as he could. 'I'm so late! I'm gonna get it for sure!' he thought frantically, glancing at his watch. It wasn't his fault! The teacher had requested that he stay after school to discuss a project and the meeting had run longer than expected. Surely his father would understand!

'Not likely,' a voice whispered in the back of his mind. 'You know the schedule, you know how strict he is about it. No doubt about it, you're gonna get it.'

Resigning himself to the inevitable, Jason concentrated on getting home as fast as he could. Finally arriving, he spilled through the front door to find his mother standing there, a disapproving look on her face. She looked him up and down, shaking her head. "Your father is waiting for you in the den," was all she said before turning and disappearing into the kitchen.

Jason closed his eyes and took a moment to catch his breath before making his way to the den. He knocked and waited for the command to enter before going in. His father sat at his desk, writing something and Jason waited silently, knowing better to speak before he was spoken to. Several minutes went by before his Mr. Scott finally said curtly, "You're late!"

Jason nodded. "Yes, sir," he murmured.

"What were you doing? Screwing around with those worthless friends of yours again?"

"No, sir. Mr. Anderson needed to discuss some class work with me."

"Class work? You failing, boy?" Mr. Scott snapped, looking up sharply.

Jason quickly lowered his eyes and shook his head. "No, sir. Just needed to discuss some details of a project we're doing."

Mr. Scott gave him a cold, hard look. "You better not be lying to me, boy." Disgust filled his eyes. "I don't even know why I bother to keep you around. Worthless waste of skin. I should turn you out to go live with those hooligans you call friends. Your little whore girlfriend, what's her name? Tracy? I'm sure _she'd_ be glad to take you in."

Jason clenched his fists, forcing himself not to rise to his father's bait. It never ended well when he challenged the older man. He had the scars to prove it. "You're grounded," his father continued after a moment, turning his attention back to his paperwork. "Three weeks. Go help your mother in the kitchen where you belong."

Dismissed, Jason turned and quickly left the room, heading for the kitchen where he silently helped his mother prepare dinner while Eric did homework at the table.

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One week later:

"Ugh!" Jason grunted and fell to the floor from the force of the blow his father had just landed. "Dad, please!" he gasped. "I-I'm sorry, it won't happen again!"

"You're damn right it won't!" his father growled as he lashed out with a kick to Jason's ribs. "I've had it with you, boy! You'd think that after all this time, you'd have learned your place! Apparently, I have to teach it to you again!" He landed another blow to Jason's ribs, following up with another to his stomach, starting a violent beating that left Jason in a bloody, broken heap on the floor.

As he drifted on the edge of consciousness, he heard his mother enter the room and an argument break out. His mother was upset that Jason was lying in a bloody mess on her kitchen floor and wanted to know who was going to clean it up. His father replied that Jason would do it if he knew what was good for him, giving Jason a rough kick in the back and telling him to get up and get cleaning.

All Jason could do was whimper in pain, which caused his mother to huff and snap at his brother to help her clean Jason up. Jason was pretty confident that he was dying when, a moment later, there was a rush of air and a scream which was quickly followed by more screams and then silence. He heard two unfamiliar voices, a male and a female conversing and opened his eyes to see a blurry pair of gold boots standing in front of him. Slowly managing to look up, he saw what looked like a great ape dressed in golden armor gazing back at him with red eyes.

"He's alive," it growled and Jason's eyes shifted as a strangely dressed woman moved up next to the ape man, fire in her eyes. She knelt down next to him and gently ran her fingers through his hair. "Don't be afraid," she whispered to him. "I have come to take you to a far better place. To  
give you the life you deserve." She pressed a hand over his eyes and, as his vision started to darken, he heard her say, "Sleep now. When you next awaken, all will be well." Then everything went black.

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Moon Palace: Present day

Rita had never been more exhausted than she was at that moment. Four days. Four long, difficult days of almost nonstop spell casting and carefully constructed mind manipulation on Jason. Changing the memories of his beloved family had taken two days alone. He had been impressively resistant at first, refusing to remember his parents as anything but the loving people that they were. But he had finally succumbed, as she knew he would and she had proceeded to completely rewrite his life for him. Especially for the past year.

She had rescued him from an abusive home where he surely would have died had he remained there much longer. She gave him memories of her caring for him, nursing him back to health and explaining who she and her people were and telling him about the war with Zordon and the Rangers. She gave him intense feelings of gratitude and loyalty toward her that gradually developed into more. He came to see her as the kind and loving mother he had never known and she accepted him as the son she had never had. They were family now, in the truest sense of the word. And, as family...as her son, he had naturally desired to fight for her and her cause. He had trained hard with Goldar for many months, working to earn the right to the Red Ranger Coin and when he finally succeeded...when it chose him to be its carrier, oh how proud she had been! They'd held a great celebration in his honor where he had pledged once again to fight to bring her victory.

She was careful to keep the memories of his interactions with the other Rangers intact, tweaking things here and there so that nothing would contradict her painstaking work. It had been ages since she had done anything this complicated and draining, but the end result was well worth  
the effort. Jason was hers now. He was completely and utterly hers and she would happily kill to keep him that way.

"Mother?"

She looked up, quickly hiding how startled she was at being called 'mother' and smiled tiredly at her Red Ranger. "Jason," she greeted. "How are you feeling?" In an effort to excuse the loss of the last four days, she had given Jason memories of a bad stomach flu. Word of the unfortunate illness had been sent to his school so that no one, namely the Rangers, would get suspicious and try to ruin things.

Jason smiled. "I'm much better, but you look exhausted. When was the last time you got any real sleep?"

Rita waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about me, child, I'll be fine. My only concern is that you are well."

Jason gave her a stern look as he approached her and gently pulled her to her feet. "And _my _only concern is you. Come on, you need to rest. Can't conquer the world dead on your feet after all," he added with a little grin as he guided her out of the room and toward her private chambers.

The indignation Rita had felt at being handled in such a way vanished as quickly as it had come and she couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped her. "True," she conceded. They reached her private quarters and Jason surprised her again by dropping a light kiss on her cheek. "Rest well," he murmured before turning and disappearing back down the hall. Rita watched him go, a smile playing on her lips. He was perfect. She could feel nothing from him but love and devotion toward her, without even a hint of rebellion, though the real test of that would come tomorrow when he returned to the company of the Rangers. She had a feeling, though, that there was nothing to worry about. He was hers.

Now and forever.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you all for the lovely comments so far! I really appreciate them. Unfortunately, this is a rather short chapter, but 4 onward should be much longer. For those wondering, part 4 will start bringing more focus on the other Rangers and won't be so Jason centric.

Deepest thanks to Griddlebone for the beta work!

Part 3

Tommy leaned against the lockers, quietly talking to Kim about their plans for that weekend when he looked up and spotted Jason making his way down the hallway. "Hey," he murmured to Kim, nodding toward Jason, "Look who's back."

Kim turned and smiled when she saw Jason. "Should make Trini happy," she commented, her smile widening as she watched Jason spot the Yellow Ranger, grin mischievously and slip up behind her, covering her eyes with his hands and saying something to her. Trini said something in reply, then turned and smiled up at Jason in delight. As the pair engaged in conversation, Kim said, "You know, I've never seen Trini react like that to a guy before. They really do make a cute couple."

"It's just too bad Jason's got off to such a rocky start," Tommy replied, watching the pair head off down the hall together, Jason carrying Trini's things for her.

"Yeah, but at least it looks like they're still on for tonight," Kim said, gathering her books and closing her locker. "Trini deserves a nice guy in her life."

"Hey guys," Zack greeted as he and Billy joined the pair. "Was that Jason we just saw?"

"Yup," Kim replied as the group turned to head in the opposite direction. "Back and looking pretty healthy."

"It's unfortunate that Jason contracted an illness so soon after starting school," Billy spoke up. "I'll have to offer my services to help him catch up."

"Billy, man, I think Jason is far more interested in catching up with Trini than he is with homework," Zack said with a large grin. Billy rolled his eyes and shook his head, refraining from replying as the group entered their first class of the day.

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Jason and Tommy were working quietly together in the school library when Tommy paused, looked up at Jason and said quietly, "You hurt her and I'll have to put you in traction."

Jason looked up, taking in the dead serious expression in Tommy's eyes and just barely stopped himself from smirking. 'You can try, Ranger,' he thought. Instead of giving in to his impulse, however, he put on his own serious expression and said, "I'd rather take a swan dive off a cliff than hurt her."

His expression turned contemplative and he eyed Tommy for a moment before leaning in closer. "Look, I've had girlfriends before, quite a few, actually, and not one of them ever managed to make me feel the way Trini does when I look at her. Or better yet, when she looks at me. I mean, I barely know the girl and yet, I feel like I've known her all my life." He narrowed his eyes a little and tipped his head. "Kinda like with you. When we first met, it was like meeting up with an old friend again, you know?"

Tommy had lost the stern expression, understanding taking its place as he nodded. "Yeah, I hear ya. Guess some people are just born to click together." He paused, then gave Jason a wicked, slightly threatening grin. "Still won't stop me from ending you, though, if you hurt her."

Jason chuckled and nodded, then put on a wary expression. "Should I expect more warnings like this from the others?"

Tommy looked thoughtful, then nodded. "Kim and Zack for sure. They're pretty close with Trini, but they're not the ones you need to watch out for. I'd be a whole lot more concerned about Billy if I were you. Piss _him_off and he'll get you in ways you won't see coming."

Jason nodded solemnly. "Always the quiet ones, right?" he murmured. "Thanks for the tip." They stared at each other for a moment, then grinned widely and shared a quiet laugh before returning to their work.

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That night, Jason took Trini out to a nice little restaurant where they would be guaranteed some privacy. They spent the time learning more about each other, telling stories of their childhoods (which Jason carefully altered to paint a favorable picture), and talking about what they wanted  
to do with their lives in the future. Of course, Jason wasn't about to tell Trini that he planned to help her mortal enemy conquer Earth and the rest of the galaxy, so he reverted to his old plan.

"Something in the medical field. I already know quite a bit and I'm pretty good with my hands so, maybe a surgeon or something."

"Impressive goal," Trini said with a smile. "Your parents must be thrilled that you want to go into such a respectable field."

"What about you?" Jason asked, avoiding the comment as distant memories of his father sneering at him and calling him worthless echoed in his mind. He frowned inwardly, finding it strange and more than a little confusing that a man who didn't think much of him would go to all the trouble to make sure he learned all he knew today.

'Appearances,' a voice whispered in his mind. 'He was a highly respected and skilled military man, he couldn't very well have a son who would embarrass him now, could he?'

'True,' Jason agreed, pushing the confusion away and focusing on Trini, who was saying something about wanting to become an ambassador for something or other. "I mean, being able to travel to other countries, meeting new people and working with them to try to make the world a better place sounds like it would be challenging and rewarding work."

Jason nodded in agreement even as he mentally rolled his eyes. 'There's only one way to make the world a better place and I'm going to help make it happen. It's really too bad you're on the wrong side, Yellow Ranger. We could use dedication like yours.'

"Jason?" He blinked and realized she had asked him something while he'd been thinking about her destruction. "Sorry, what?"

She gave him an uncertain look and said, "I'm not boring you, am I?"

His eyes widened and he reached across the table, taking her hand and squeezing gently. "Of course not." He smiled charmingly and added, "I was just thinking about how lucky I am to be sitting here with the most beautiful girl in the house."

Trini blushed and lowered her eyes. "That's sweet, Jason."

"It's also true. I don't think you have any idea just how beautiful you are, Trini. Guys should be falling all over themselves for the chance to take you out." He paused and gave her a mischievous grin. "But then, I would have to beat each and every one of them with a large stick to get you to myself, so maybe it's better this way."

Trini laughed and Jason's heart did that little flip again. "You certainly know how to charm a girl, Jason Scott."

Jason winked, then glanced at his watch and said, "We should go if we're gonna make the movie."

Trini nodded and Jason helped her up, paid for the meal, then guided her outside and into the car Rita had given him for the night. At the theater, they got all their munchies, then sat in the back to keep Trini's crutches out of the way and, again, for a bit of privacy. Not that Jason was planning to get fresh on the first date or anything, he just didn't like the feeling of being surrounded and wanted the advantage of keeping an eye out for any trouble that might try to sneak up on them.

All too soon, the evening ended, leaving Jason wanting a whole lot more. She was just so easy to be with and it irked him knowing that she was his enemy and, sooner or later, he was going to have to kill her. 'Maybe I can convince mother to spare her,' he thought as he helped her up her front steps and they turned to face each other.

"I had a really good time, Jason," she said with a soft smile as she looked up at him.

"Yeah, me too," he replied. "Can I see you again? Outside of when I normally see you that is."

Trini nodded. "I'd like that."

Deciding there was no way he was walking away without a proper ending to the night and, seeing an expression in her eyes that sent a little thrill down his spine, Jason moved in closer, leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

It was like an entire fireworks factory had exploded. Jason had never in all his life felt such a charge when kissing a girl, and never had it ever felt so right. Wanting more, he deepened the kiss, letting it grow more passionate until they were forced to stop only due to lack of air.

"Wow," Jason gasped, reaching up to gently push a stray bit of hair out of Trini's face.

She laughed softly and nodded. "Ditto." They gazed at each other for a few seconds and Jason started to move in to kiss her again when the porch lights flickered off and on. Trini chewed her lower lip as she glanced at the door, then back at Jason. "Guess that's my cue."

"Yeah," Jason nodded, throwing a slightly annoyed look at the door. 'Man it would be *so* easy,' he thought, but the clamped down on the urge for violence, though he did engage in a little defiance as he leaned down and gave Trini one last gentle kiss. "Goodnight," he breathed in her ear, giving her hand a light squeeze.

"Goodnight," she murmured back before turning and making her way inside.

Grinning widely, Jason headed back to his car and drove off down the street, turned a corner, and vanished.

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When he arrived back at the Palace, he headed for the throne room to report on his progress and found a new face among the group. An attractive woman dressed in golden armor that reminded him of Goldar. "Ah, Jason, you're home," Rita said, gesturing for him to come forward. "Come, I have someone I want you to meet." She took his hand, smiling up at him and then turned to the woman. "Jason, this is my old friend, Scorpina. Scorpina, this is my adopted son, Jason."

Scorpina brought her left fist over her right breast and bowed her head. "Young Prince," she greeted, surprising Jason with the title.

Rita chuckled at the expression he wore. "It's true, Jason. As I am Queen and you are my adopted son, that makes you a Prince. How was your date with the Yellow Ranger?"

Jason grinned. "Absolutely awesome! I've got that girl wrapped around my little finger."

"Excellent. Things are progressing nicely. "We'll give it a couple more days, then Scorpina and Goldar will help you stumble upon the Rangers' identities."

"How?" Jason questioned.

"Quite easily, actually," Scorpina answered. "Through a simple little game of cat and mouse. We just pick a Ranger and get them alone and in a fight for their life. Then all we have to do is make sure they have no way to contact their friends, so they are completely alone. Then when you coincidentally happen to stumble upon them, it'll seem completely reasonable for you to offer your assistance. You may not be a Power Ranger, but you can at least try to help them hide from the big bad warriors chasing them."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Okay, but how will that help me discover their identities?"

Scorpina smirked. "Through the poison I'll inject them with. That, combined with any injuries they sustain will wear them down to the point where they can no longer remain morphed. They'll be forced to power down right in front of you, thus letting the cat out of the bag, as I believe the saying goes."

"Scorpina will introduce herself to the Rangers tomorrow, then we'll launch several more attacks to wear them down a little before the attack on the single Ranger," Rita stated and Jason nodded, grinning.

"Sounds like fun, can't wait." He paused, then said, "I suggest targeting the Yellow Ranger for the single attack. Given our developing relationship, learning something like *that* should help bring us even closer."

Rita nodded agreement. "Very well. Now," she reached out and took Jason's hand, "come with me, child, I have something to show you." She raised her staff and the throne room vanished, replaced by a nicely furnished living room.

"Where are we?" Jason asked, frowning in confusion as he spotted a picture of himself and two adults he didn't recognize. One was a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, the other a man who looked like an older version of Jason. All three were smiling brightly at the camera, like they hadn't a care in the world. Other pictures included a younger boy, also similar in appearance to Jason and the older man.

Rita smiled. "This will be your home when it needs to be," she explained. "Meaning, when you need to show yourself as a normal human boy and entertain your friends or something, this is where it will happen." She made a gesture and two putties appeared. In a flash of light, they took on the forms of the couple in the pictures with him. "These two will act as your parents if and when they need to make an appearance. I don't want anything tipping the Rangers off that you are anything but what you appear to be. We've worked too hard to reach this point, I will not have it come apart by some apparently insignificant little detail."

"Relax, mother," Jason murmured, slipping his hand back into hers and squeezing gently as he smiled, unaware of a soft red glow in his eyes. "I didn't go through all that I did to get the Red Ranger power only to fail you. Even if your victory means my death, I will happily die to give it to you."

"Let us hope you do not speak words of the impending future," Rita replied, joy filling her heart at the thought of all the planets she could conquer in the future with the aid of the wondrous prize that stood before her. A prize she didn't want to lose and would happily sacrifice all of her servants to keep.

A prize she would learn to truly think of as her son.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the continuing feedback! It's still very much appreciated!

Deepest thanks to Griddlebone for the beta work! You're an awesome beta!

Part 4

Tommy knew the day was going to suck the very minute he woke up: by painfully falling out of bed and onto the floor, trapped in his bed covers. When he finally managed to untangle himself and look outside, he was greeted with a threatening sky that seemed to promise retribution for anyone who dared try to spend their Saturday outdoors. He groaned, mourning the loss of a Saturday he'd planned to spend at the beach with the guys, something they'd been planning for weeks.

Sighing, he headed for the bathroom, yelping as he stubbed his big toe on the way, then nearly slipped and ended up banging his elbow on the counter. 'Go back to bed, go back to bed, to back to bed,' a voice chanted in his mind. Always one to challenge Fate, however, he ignored the voice and carried on with his morning routine, glaring up at the sky defiantly when he left the house to head for the Youth Center.

That was when Fate decided to kick him in the head and remind him exactly who was in charge.

He was in the park, halfway to the Youth Center, when he stopped short and groaned at finding his path suddenly blocked by Goldar. 'Told ya you should have stayed in bed,' the voice in his head whispered smugly. Tommy scowled and ignored it as he dropped into a defensive stance. "What do you want, Goldilocks?"

"Same as always, Green Ranger, your blood on my sword," Goldar growled back.

Tommy smirked. "Considering how often that's happened, why don't you just bend over now so I can give your ass a good swift kick, then we can both get on with our days?"

"How about _you _bend over?" a female voice whispered in his ear, and Tommy froze as he felt the cool edge of a blade come to rest against his neck. He very slowly spread his hands out so that whoever was behind him wouldn't think he was trying something and cut his throat, his eyes glued to Goldar who wore a very ugly smile. Tommy glared back before addressing whoever was behind him.

"So has Rita finally decided to just kill me in the most dishonorable way possible?"

The woman behind him chuckled breezily, sending a shiver down his spine. "That _would_ solve the problem, wouldn't it? But that would hardly be any fun for me and I came a _very_long way to meet you, Green Ranger."

"All right, so how about you put the knife away and introduce yourself properly?" Tommy replied, managing to keep his voice steady despite his worry that the woman was going to simply cut his throat anyway. For a few seconds nothing happened, then the woman withdrew her blade and Tommy quickly spun away from her, backing up so he could keep an eye on both opponents. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the woman and said, "You know, Goldar, if this is your sister than you should be really pissed off with your maker." He gave her a little grin as Goldar growled and took a threatening step closer.

She smirked and held up a hand, stopping Goldar's progress. "Easy, big guy," she purred. "Not yet. It would be rude to attack without introducing myself first." Turning her attention back to Tommy, she bowed mockingly and said, "I am Scorpina. Bounty hunter, assassin, whatever the highest bidder wants."

"Well, I gotta admit, the change in scenery is nice. You sure are the prettiest goon that's ever tried to kill me," Tommy quipped.

Scorpina chuckled as she drew a curved sword that Tommy eyed warily. "I would advise morphing now. Unless you want to feel what it's like to have a sword in your guts."

"Not particularly," Tommy muttered. "It's Morphin' Time!"

Scorpina and Goldar were on him the instant he finished morphing, drawing him into a vicious fight. He had never seen Goldar move so fast before, but even that was nothing compared to Scorpina, who moved like the wind. She seemed to be everywhere at once, her sword (and something Tommy couldn't quite identify), slicing through the air with deadly precision.

Tommy did his best to keep up, evading their attacks and attempting to counter when he could, but Goldar and Scorpina were both formidable opponents in their own right. With the two of them working together to double-team him, it wasn't long before he knew he was in trouble. Sure, now that he had morphed he had his Ranger suit to protect him, but even that wasn't helping that much. Even if he managed to block one of Goldar's attacks, Scorpina was just waiting to swoop in and land the final blow. It took every ounce of concentration he had to stay far enough ahead of them not to end up with a dozen mortal injuries.

He managed not to let either of them skewer him, but even with the aid of his Green Ranger powers and trusted Dragon Dagger, he was taking far more damage than he was giving. And the longer he let this fight drag on, the harder it became to counter both Scorpina and Goldar at the same time. It seemed like every time he managed to block Scorpina, the next thing he knew he was frantically dodging away from a thrust of Goldar's sword.

Through the adrenaline rush of battle he began to realize that he was going to have to get help soon or risk losing the fight, or worse. The fact that only a second later he utterly failed to block an attack from Goldar, which had the end result of flinging him painfully against a nearby tree, only confirmed it. Struggling to his knees, he pulled out his blaster and fired a few shots to keep Goldar and Scorpina at bay while he activated his communicator.

"Zordon, it's Tommy! I'm in the park and I need help! Now!"

"Acknowledged, Tommy," came Zordon's reply. "The other Rangers have already been alerted and are on their way to you."

Tommy's reply was cut off as something struck him hard, sending him reeling backward into the tree again. He blinked, aware that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it might be. Until, that is, the pain came. It erupted from his lower right side and, looking to see what the problem was, his eyes widened when he saw that something had actually penetrated his suit and his body.

His hand shook as he reached over and gripped the slim, black object and, screaming, pulled it from his side and slumped over. The pain was nearly unbearable; it was all he could do to keep drawing in ragged gasps of air. His side burned and he heard a roaring sound that grew louder by the second until it seemed to fill his ears, deafening him. After an eternity that must have really been only a few seconds, he dimly heard the sound of familiar voices through the haze. He opened eyes he didn't remember closing, focusing with effort on the object he still clutched tightly in his hand. 'Weird,' he thought as he looked at it. 'It sort of looks like a giant bee stinger.'

"Green Ranger!"

He looked past the stinger to find blue filling his vision, followed by a pair of white gloved hands reaching out to him. One hand gently gripped his shoulder while the other moved to probe the wound, causing a scream of pain to be ripped from his throat as the wound protested at being touched. "Sorry, Tommy," he heard Billy mutter as the Blue Ranger examined him.

"How is he?" He heard Kim's worried voice and his eyes quickly found her kneeling on his other side. He didn't have to see her eyes to know they were scared, her body language was practically screaming it as she took his free hand and gripped it tightly.

"We need to get him back to the Command Center, fast," he heard Billy reply and couldn't help the little laugh that managed to escape his lips despite the pain he was in.

"M-must be b-bad," he whispered in response to the questioning tilts of his friends' heads. "Y-You're speaking plain...English."

Billy shook his head and Tommy grinned as he imagined the annoyed look on his friend's face. Activating his internal communications unit, Billy said, "Alpha, teleport Tommy back to the Command Center immediately. He's injured and requires immediate medical attention."

The reply was a flash of green light as Tommy vanished. The Blue and Pink Rangers looked at each other, then pushed aside their worry for their leader and hurried to join Black and Yellow in driving off Goldar and the strange woman.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

The fight didn't last long after Tommy was taken from the field. Goldar and the strange woman-Scorpina-seemed to be out to make a point more than anything else. That point being that they were a force to be reckoned with and they could actually hurt the Rangers. Badly, if Tommy was anything to go by. The pair decided to take their leave after Zack made a smartass comment, and Scorpina, feeling the need to punish him for it, gave the Black Ranger a decisive blow to his leg. Smirking, Scorpina called out, "Your days are numbered, Rangers! There's someone else waiting in the wings, just aching to meet you, and when he finally makes himself known, you won't stand a chance." With those parting words, both warriors raised their swords and vanished in dual flashes of golden flame.

"Aw man," Zack groaned as he struggled to his feet, only to fall back to the ground when his injured leg refused to support him. "Why do I get the feeling that Rita might actually be on to something this time?"

"Let's discuss it back at the Command Center," Billy replied as he and Trini got their injured comrade up, supporting him between them. Activating the Comm Unit, Billy said, "Alpha, bring us in. Zack's leg is injured, so have more supplies ready."

"Acknowledged," came the reply. Seconds later, they were teleported the familiar operations room of the Command Center. Tommy lay shirtless and unconscious on a medical bed, a bloody wound on his right side being carefully closed by Alpha. A force field surrounded the pair, which the others knew served to keep the area sterile and prevent infection. A strange device, resembling a mechanical leech, that none of them had seen before was attached to Tommy's chest. It was moving in place, almost as if it really _was _a leech that was feeding off of him, and slowly changing colors from silver to white and back again.

"Um, is Tommy okay and what is that?" Kim questioned. Meanwhile Trini and Billy helped Zack onto another bed, Billy and Zack powering down while Trini stayed morphed but removed her helmet so she wouldn't have to rely on her crutches for her still healing ankle.

"Tommy will be fine," Zordon replied as Alpha continued his careful work. "Unfortunately, the object that injured him was one of Scorpina's stingers, which are coated with poison. The device on Tommy's chest is being used to nullify and draw out that poison."

"Poison!" Zack exclaimed in alarm. "Zordon, if she can penetrate our suits like a knife through butter and poison us, then how are we supposed to fight her? And who is she anyway?"

"Her name is Scorpina. She is a mercenary specializing in poisons and an old friend of Rita's. Fortunately, her arsenal of poisons is well known to us and your own arsenal will be updated to compensate for this new threat."

"What kind of update?" Billy asked, glancing up from where he had started tending to Zack's injured leg.

"You will each be given a device that will detect and counteract any poison you may be injected with."

"Sounds great," Zack said, wincing as Billy probed his leg. He jumped and shot his friend an irritated look at a particularly painful jab. "Easy, Billy!" Turning his attention back to their mentor, he gestured to Tommy and asked, "But what about the stab wounds her stingers leave behind? It's hard to fight when you're impersonating a human pincushion."

"The devices will be modified to include an energy burst that will sustain you until any injuries can be cared for."

"That's one problem solved," Kim said, eyes glued to Tommy's still form. "Now we just have to worry about this other person Scorpina mentioned."

"Oh yeah," Zack muttered, closing his eyes wearily. "If he's as strong as Scorpina then we really might be in trouble."

"What other person are you speaking of, Rangers?" Zordon questioned.

"Before Scorpina and Goldar left, they said there was someone else waiting to meet us," Trini replied. "The way she spoke gave the impression that whoever it is, he's seriously powerful."

"Like we need another psycho after our hides," Zack muttered. "Do you know who she could have meant, Zordon? Does she travel with some bad ass or something?"

"Not to my knowledge, Zachary. I'm afraid that whoever it is will remain a mystery until he chooses to reveal himself."

"Joy," Zack groaned.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRR

A week passed, during which Rita launched numerous attacks, sometimes two or three in one day. Between the constant, grueling battles that resulted in multiple injuries and their own daily lives, the Rangers were being run ragged. Trini didn't know how much more they could take. If things kept going as they were, one or more of them were going to get killed, though Zordon's new devices had certainly been helpful. She was sure that, without them, at least one of them _would _have been killed by now. She shuddered and tried to force the morbid thoughts away as she walked through the park, happily without the aid of crutches. She was on her way to the Youth Center to meet up with the others for some much needed studying, but she also hoped to find Jason there.

A little smile played across her lips as she thought of Jason. They'd had their second date over the weekend which had, thankfully, been uninterrupted and a lot of fun. She enjoyed being with Jason a great deal and had never felt more at ease around any boy who wasn't strictly a friend before.

'And wow, what a kisser!' she thought, the little smile turning into a grin as she thought of the goodnight kisses they had shared. Not to mention the one the previous day that she had certainly not been expecting. She'd been at the Youth Center with the others as usual when she had seen him wander in. As soon as he'd spotted her, a serious look had come over his face that immediately had her worried. He had made his way over to where she was sitting with Kim and Billy and asked to speak with her privately. Shooting a look of trepidation at Kim, she had nodded and let him take her hand and lead her to the private little alcove that the Rangers often used when answering calls from Zordon or needing to teleport.

"Jason, what's wrong?" she had asked, fearing the worst, only to be surprised when he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a deep, mind numbing kiss that seemed to go on for forever.

When they had finally parted, he'd grinned at her and said, "Nothing's wrong. Just wanted to say 'hi' properly. And give you this." From seemingly out of nowhere, he had produced a single yellow rose and offered it to her, eyes dancing playfully. Trini had been speechless, which Jason had seemed to find highly amusing, and the rest of the day had been spent with Trini wrapped securely around Jason's little finger. She had to admit it, she was completely infatuated with him and sincerely hoped that this was the start of something special.

Her musings were interrupted and she was dragged rudely back to the present as something hit her from behind and knocked her to the ground. Looking up, she groaned when she saw the group of putties dancing around and quickly got to her feet, preparing to take them on. That was when she saw Scorpina, and her heart jumped fearfully into her throat. 'Not again!' Knowing she would need back up, she brought her communicator up and called, "Zordon, It's Trini! I'm in the park with Scorpina and a group of putties. I'm going to need help!" Silence answered her and she frowned. "Zordon? Zordon, Alpha, come in!"

She looked up as Scorpina laughed and called out, "I wouldn't bother, Yellow Ranger. This is a private little play date, the others aren't invited."

Her heart now trying to frantically claw its way out of her throat, Trini cursed quietly and quickly reached for her morpher. "It's Morphin' Time!"

Desperately hoping that Zordon and Alpha would realize that she was in trouble, Trini launched herself into battle, taking down putties as fast as she could. Problem was, there seemed to be no end to them. As soon as she took down one, two or three more would pop up and tag team her. 'Where are they coming from?' she thought, taking a few seconds to locate Scorpina, who seemed content to simply watch for the time being. 'Probably waiting for the putties to wear me down.' Taking out her blaster, she started shooting the putties, hoping to decrease their numbers, but to no avail. They just kept coming, much to her frustration.

She had just decided to attempt a retreat and come back with her friends when Scorpina quite suddenly joined the fray. The putties danced around them as the pair traded blows, one or two occasionally jumping in to strike at Trini and put her off balance. All the while Scorpina laughed and taunted her, displaying her far superior skills as a fighter as she wore Trini down even further.

Then, in a move Trini knew would eventually come and had been dreading, Scorpina engaged the use of her stingers. Trini tried to avoid the deadly weapons, but was unable to prevent taking some nasty strikes, which left her uniform a mess of blood and dirt. Worse, one of the stingers had managed to penetrate far enough to infect her blood with poison. It wasn't long before she felt the effects as her vision swam and her body temperature skyrocketed. She pulled out the Poison Nullifier, as the Rangers had taken to calling Zordon's device, with shaking hands and injected herself with it. As she waited for it to take effect, she felt her breathing grow more difficult and prayed not to pass out and for Scorpina not to attack.

The Poison Nullifier had no effect.

Frowning, she looked at the device in confusion, then at Scorpina as the woman laughed and said, "Sorry, sweetie, your impressive little gizmo won't work this time. I made this particular poison very special and it's going to take a whole lot more than that little thing to break it up."

'Oh God!' Trini thought, shaking her head and blinking hard to clear her vision. 'I have to get out of here! God knows what Rita will do to me if I'm taken prisoner!' She looked around, seeking an escape route and realized she was very close to the forest. 'I could try to lose them in there. Hopefully the others will get to me before this poison kills me!'

The good news was that the energy burst from the Poison Nullifier still worked and she was able to use it to fight her way through the putties that were surrounding her before bolting for the forest. Behind her, she heard Scorpina laugh and shout, "Run all you want, Ranger, you won't get away! You're mine!"

She could hear Scorpina and the putties pursuing her as she crashed through the forest, falling more than once but forcing herself to keep going despite the toll the poison was starting to take on her body. She could not allow herself to be captured! She had to lose them! As she ran, she continuously tried communications, hoping that whatever was blocking her would weaken the further she got from the park. She also activated a distress signal just in case that somehow managed to make it through before communications did. She was so frantic and confused that she didn't know how much time had passed when she encountered yet another surprise. And this one scared her even more than being hunted while rapidly losing strength and being unable to summon help.

Jason.

She had just burst into a very small clearing that must have been someone's camp site at one time, and had tripped over a half hidden log that brought her crashing painfully to the ground, when a surprised voice exclaimed, "What the hell?"

That voice sounded familiar. She looked up, eyes widening as she found Jason standing just a few feet away, staring at her with wide, surprised eyes.

'Oh, God, no!' she thought. 'Please no! If Scorpina catches him she'll tear him apart!' Before she could say anything, however, he was right next to her, looking at her in concern.

"What happened to you?"

"R-Rita's forces!" she gasped as she struggled to stand up. Jason was quick to help her, keeping a tight grip on her to keep her standing. "You have to-to get out...out of here!" she continued. "They'll...they'll kill you if they f-find you!" She gave him a push to the right and added, "Go that way! I'll make sure they...keep f-following me!"

Jason's eyes narrowed and he shook his head. "I can't just leave you! You're hurt!"

"I'll be fine! Please just..." she gasped and started to fall to the ground, but Jason caught her and threw one of her arms over his shoulder so he could better support her.

"Forget it!" he snapped. "I don't care who's after you, you're an injured solider and I'm not leaving you behind!" He jerked his head to the left and added, "I found a cave back that way earlier. We can hide there until your comrades come looking for you. Come on." Without giving Trini a chance to respond, he turned and started half pulling, half carrying her in the direction he had indicated. About five minutes later, they entered a cave and headed to the very back of it. "Be right back," he murmured, gently lowering her to the ground before hurrying back out the way they had come. He returned a moment later and gave her a reassuring look. "I camouflaged the entrance. We should be safe for a while."

He knelt down next to her and studied her in the dim light of the cave. "Man, you're a mess," he muttered. "Must have been some fight. Where are the other Rangers?"

"I got...ambushed," Trini replied, startled at how weak her voice sounded. "Couldn't...contact...base." Her mind was getting foggy and she was starting to find it difficult to think. Her body was also getting heavy and numb. Jason was saying something and she tried to focus on him, but she couldn't seem to understand a word he said. The words were distorted and sounded like they were coming from very far away.

'The poison,' she realized. She couldn't fight it off anymore and the power boost had faded. Weakly, she began searching for the Nullifier, certain that if she could just give herself another shot, she'd be okay for a little while longer. If she could just...find...

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Jason watched as the Yellow Ranger's hand moved around her body as though she was searching for something and went completely still as the poison and her injuries finally overwhelmed her. A moment later, there was a flash of light as she powered down, her body no longer able to remain morphed. A smile crossed Jason's lips. "Well hello, Trini," he murmured. "What a shocking surprise that you're the Yellow Ranger." Smirking, he reached out and pressed his fingers to the side of her neck to make sure she was still alive. Considering how still she was, there was a chance she might actually be close to death. Finding that her pulse was satisfactory for the moment, he pulled out a Comm unit and activated it.

"Mother, she's down. Turn your barrier off now."

After a few seconds of silence, Rita replied, "It's off. Zordon should start trying to contact her momentarily. Good luck, son."

"I'll be home once I'm done," Jason replied, then cut the communication and put the device away before settling down to wait. Happily, it wasn't a long wait. Within two minutes, what he knew was a communicator that she wore on her wrist went off and a tiny voice called out, "Yellow Ranger, come in! Report your current status!" There was a quick pause, then the voice called again, "Yellow Ranger, do you read me? Report your current status!"

"Okay, okay," Jason muttered, reaching out and removing the communicator from Trini's wrist. "Keep your pants on." He took a second to school himself, then pressed a button and said uncertainly, "Hello?"

There was a long pause and then the voice cried, "Ay-yi-yi! Who is this? You shouldn't be on this frequency!"

"My name is Jason," Jason replied, putting the appropriately worried and slightly freaked out tone in his voice. "I'm hiding in a cave with the Yellow Ranger. She's hurt bad. If you're in contact with the other Rangers, you'd better get them here, fast!"

There was another moment of silence, then Jason looked up as four teleportation streams lit up the cave, fading out to reveal the remaining Rangers. All four of them froze when they saw Jason with the unmorphed Trini and it was all Jason could do not to burst out laughing. Instead, he glared at them and barked, "Snap out of it! Trini needs help!"

As the Blue and Pink Rangers hurried over to examine Trini, the Black Ranger hurried to the mouth of the cave to make sure there were no enemies about. Meanwhile, the Green Ranger starting talking quickly and quietly into his Comm unit, no doubt filling Zordon in on the little 'problem' they just discovered. As the Black Ranger returned from the mouth of the cave, Pink joined them and the trio had a hushed discussion.

"Guys!" Blue called, getting their attention. "I'm taking her back to the Command Center. She needs immediate assistance." Without waiting for a reply, the pair vanished in flashes of blue and yellow light, leaving Jason alone with the other three.

Jason slowly stood and faced them, eyeing them all carefully. "So, what now?"

Green Ranger sighed heavily, glancing at his friends. "You know who we are?"

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Well, based on the fact that _Trini_ is the _Yellow Ranger_, I'm pretty confident that I could guess who the rest of you are."

All three shifted and glanced at each other again. "That's what I was afraid of," Green murmured before approaching Jason. "Okay, look, we need you to come with us. We aren't going to hurt you," he added quickly. "It's just that our leader is going to want to talk to you."

"I'm guessing I don't have much choice," Jason replied dryly as Pink and Black teleported away.

Green put a reassuring hand on Jason's shoulder and squeezed gently. Then the cave vanished and, seconds later, Jason found himself in what he assumed was the Command Center. He didn't have to fake an expression of awe as he looked around. It was an impressive place and he was almost sorry that he would be destroying it soon.

Billy, sans his helmet, was standing over a medical bed that Trini lay on, working on the Yellow Ranger's injuries. He was aided by a small robot that Jason assumed was Alpha Five, Zordon's assistant. Turning around, Jason found the other three Rangers gazing at him warily, their helmets lined up on a console next to them. Feeling another set of eyes on him, he looked up, and allowed his eyes to widen. "Holy..."

"Greetings, Jason. I am Zordon. Please do not be alarmed. You have been brought to the Command Center, the base of operations for the Power Rangers, since you have stumbled upon their identities."

"Yeah," Jason replied slowly. "Really didn't expect a hike in the woods to lead me here of all places." He cast an anxious look back toward Trini and asked, "Is she going to be okay? Really freaked me out when she stumbled out of the woods hurt like she did."

"Bet it freaked you out even more when she powered down," Zack commented and Jason allowed a little smile to cross his lips. "Understatement, bro."

"Trini will be all right," Zordon interjected. "I thank you, Jason, from the bottom of my heart, for assisting her. You likely saved her life." He paused, then continued. "And now I must ask more of you. It is vitally imperative for the protection of the Rangers and their families that the secret you have uncovered not be exposed." Zordon's eyes locked with Jason's, and he struggled not to look away from the wise, knowing gaze. "I sense you have good heart, Jason, that you are a good person. Can we trust you to keep the secret close to you and never to reveal it?"

For a brief moment, as Jason stared into those eyes, he feared that the old wizard knew his loyalty to Rita and was...testing him or something. But he knew that couldn't be. His mother's magic protected him and if Zordon really did think that Jason was a threat, they wouldn't be having this conversation.

Right?

'Get a grip,' he thought, aware of the others watching him expectantly. 'Everything is going according to plan. No one suspects a thing.' Putting on a serious expression, he nodded solemnly and said, "You can trust me, Zordon. I swear I will never reveal your secrets to any outsider." He glanced at Trini's still form and added, "Considering I'm actually dating one of you, I'll do everything in my power to keep all of you safe from discovery."

Tommy stepped forward, a smile on his lips as he offered his hand. "Thanks, Jase," he murmured as Zack and Kim crowded around them. "We owe you, not just for keeping our secret, but for Trini too.

"Her knight in shining armor," Kim said with a smile. "Going to do wonders for your relationship," she added with a wink.

Jason chuckled as he took Tommy's hand. "Yeah, I bet it will."

"Hey Jason?" Billy called, drawing their attention to where he was still working on Trini. "You're medically inclined. Would you be averse to lending Alpha and myself a hand?"

Not needing a translator to understand the request for a change, Jason nodded. "Yeah, no problem." He shrugged off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and joined Billy and Alpha in patching Trini up. As they worked, he couldn't help but grin a little in anticipation of the conversation they were going to have when she finally woke up.


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

Two months went by with Jason quickly, and easily, establishing himself as a loyal and trusted friend to the Rangers. He helped out at every opportunity, be it covering for them with family and friends, getting civilians out of the area when a fight broke out, or even helping Alpha  
in the Command Center when the Rangers went into an especially hard battle. He'd put his medical skills to use a number of times, since Scorpina delighted in finding ways around the Nullifier Zordon had given them, requiring an update to the device every time she succeeded.

In appreciation, Billy had actually made a communicator for Jason, enabling him to get to the Command Center on his own if he needed to. Of course, being a Ranger himself, Jason could have entered the Command Center any time he wanted to, but as the others didn't know that, he  
played up his gratefulness at the gesture and used the handy little device at every opportunity.

His relationship with Tommy had progressed nicely during this time, as per Rita's wishes, and without any real effort on his part. They just seemed to naturally gravitate toward one another, which made for an easy and close friendship. However, that didn't stop them from constantly trying to outdo each other. It was a natural rivalry between what Billy described as two 'alpha males,' but it was only when the pair entered a doubles martial arts tournament that it became a problem. Zack and Billy had been training them and trying to get them ready but, much to their frustration, Jason and Tommy just couldn't seem to get past their own private little competition and actually work together. The Black and Blue Rangers were at their wits' end.

Zack was currently sitting at a table in the Youth Center, watching despondently as his leader and their good friend once again started bickering at each other after yet another failed attempt at the routine. He sighed and shook his head, wondering if he shouldn't just go ahead and drop them out of the tournament since, at this point, they had no hope of even placing in the top three, never mind winning. It was pathetic and Tommy, of all people, should have known better considering he was the leader of the freaking Power Rangers, where working together was practically their motto.

He looked up as Billy joined him, raising an eyebrow at the satisfied smirk on the young genius' lips. "What's up, Billy?" he asked, giving a little grin. "You finally figure out how to make a pet out of Goldar?"

"Better," Billy replied, handing Zack a pamphlet. "I think I've solved the problem concerning our two alpha males over there," he added with a little nod toward Jason and Tommy.

"Angel Grove Wilderness Survival Weekend," Zack read before looking up at Billy in confusion. "How does this solve the problem? Besides getting them lost in the woods?"

"The Angel Grove Wilderness Survival Weekend is a program that teaches people not only how to survive in the wilderness, but how to do it by _working together_," Billy replied. "Participants are dropped off at an unknown location in the woods with two parts of a map and only the barest of essentials. From there, they must find their way to certain check points and camps, collecting specific objects at each site until they reach the end which, in this case, is a Ranger station."

A wide smile spread across Zack's lips. "I see," he murmured. "By giving each of them a part of the map, they have no choice but to work together if they want to get out of there."

Billy nodded. "Precisely."

Zack glanced over at their two friends, then asked, "How are we going to get them to agree to go, though?"

A wicked little glint appeared in Billy's green eyes as his gaze moved to the pair in question, causing Zack to shift a little. They had all learned to fear that look over the years they had known Billy. It meant that their resident genius had reached his limit, and whoever had pushed  
him there had better watch out. "I've already taken the liberty of signing them up. And they'll go if they don't wish to encounter unpleasant luck in the near future."

Zack chuckled and turned to signal the other two to come over. When they were told what they would be doing that weekend, both boys were a little reluctant despite both being avid outdoorsmen.

"I don't know, Billy," Jason said with a glance at Tommy. "I mean, I love the outdoors and all, but this just sounds way too easy and we really need to train."

"Oh, yeah, and training has been working wonders for you," Zack replied sarcastically.

"If it's a challenge you want, don't worry, I have it covered," Billy said with a nod at the pamphlet. "This particular wilderness survival is advanced. They only recommend it for expert survivalists. _And_the first ones to the Ranger station win top of the line survivalist gear."

Twin expressions of interest appeared on Jason and Tommy's faces. "Now that _does_sound like fun," Tommy admitted. "Plus, I wouldn't mind getting my hands on that survival gear," he added as Jason nodded agreement.

"Consider this part of your training regime," Billy spoke again to squash any remaining reluctance. "And as your trainers, Zack and I aren't giving you a choice, right Zack?"

Zack grinned, amusement dancing in his dark eyes. "Better go home and pack, boys. Looks like you're spending the weekend in the woods."

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

"Ow! Son of a bitch!"

Jason looked up from poking at the fire, peering into the darkness beyond with a raised eyebrow. "You okay in there bro?" he called, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yeah. Just-ow! Just fine!" The irritated response was followed by more crashing before Tommy finally stumbled out of the woods, throwing himself down next to the fire and glaring at it as if it were the source of all his woes. Jason took in the leaves and twigs clinging to the Green Ranger's hair and just managed to stifle a laugh. He turned his attention back to the fire instead, choosing not to tease the other boy this time around.

It had been a long day filled with lots of arguments and a few fun moments, and both teens were tired and looking forward to a good night's sleep. Jason hoped that, with the first day behind them, the next two days would have fewer arguments and more fun moments instead of the other way around. Otherwise, Jason feared he just might jump the gun and kill the Rangers' leader prematurely.

Where would the fun in that be?

He looked up as he heard plastic being ripped open and found Tommy raiding the hot dogs they had brought. His stomach rumbled at the thought of food and he eagerly took the pack when Tommy offered it to him. They spent the next couple of hours eating and sitting around the fire, relaxing and talking. When they finally decided to call it a night, Jason disappeared into his little tent and settled down in his sleeping bag with a tired sigh.

As his mind wandered over the days' events, he pulled out his Power Coin, gazing at it longingly. He wondered how much longer it would be before Rita would allow him to morph and engage the Rangers. Even the Coin itself seemed anxious for battle, seeming to whisper temptations in his mind and bringing memories of how good it felt to be morphed to the surface. Jason chewed his lower lip, eyes moving to the right wall of his tent where he knew, just on the other side, Tommy's tent harbored the Green Ranger. It would be so easy to morph and slip over there...

With a soft gasp, he clutched the Coin in his fist and shook his head, blinking rapidly. The whispering, which had quickly built in strength, suddenly vanished, leaving him a little disoriented. He took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart before giving the Coin a wary look. It seemed to actually wink at him and Jason shook his head again before putting it away and settling back down. Any uneasiness he felt drained away as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

'We're making good time,' Tommy thought as he and Jason studied the map, taking note of their position and the current time. It was midafternoon, and he and Jason had actually managed to get pretty far with very few squabbles, a sure sign that they were making good progress in the teamwork area. 'Billy and Zack will be pleased, at least.'

"Looks like we're about three or four hours away, tops," Jason commented and Tommy nodded in agreement. Jason pointed out a trail on the map, glancing up at their surroundings. Before he could say anything, however, their attention was drawn skyward as a high pitched whistle pierced the air and the light of a flare exploded in the sky. "Uh oh. Looks like someone ran into trouble," Jason said, hurriedly stuffing the map away and picking up his pack. "Come on!"

They raced off down the path toward the area they thought the flare had come from. After nearly five minutes, they heard shouts for help and stopped, listening carefully to pinpoint where the shouts were coming from. "That way!" Tommy exclaimed after a moment and they continued on. A few minutes later, they came upon a frantic young man just a couple of years older than them, kneeling at the edge of a cliff next to a rope bridge, looking down at something.

"Matt!" Jason called, remembering the young man from the previous day. "What's happened?"

Matt looked up, relief flooding his eyes when he saw them. "My brother!" he replied fearfully, looking back over the cliff. "He was trying to cross the bridge and...I don't know! One second he was there, the next he was gone!"

Jason and Tommy cautiously peered over the edge of the cliff. Several feet down, lying motionless on an outcrop, was Matt's older brother, Robbie. Jason's trained eye took in what were for him obvious details, and he cursed softly. Robbie had a broken leg, which was likely only one of a number of injuries, given the distance he had fallen.

"Tommy," he said quietly as he quickly took off his pack and dug out some rope, "tie this off somewhere and then find something for a splint and meet me down there." As Tommy hurried to do as asked, Jason quickly tied the other end of the rope around his waist, glancing up at the clear sky as he did. "Matt," he said, turning his attention back to the other boy. "You have any smoke flares?"

Matt nodded and quickly started digging in his pack, calming down a little and remembering things he was supposed to do in an emergency. Jason tested the rope and, finding it secure, prepared to lower himself down to Robbie.

"Stay up here and watch for the rescue chopper," he instructed Matt before disappearing over the cliff. He carefully made his way down to where Robbie lay, untying the rope when he reached the outcrop so that Tommy could follow, then quickly knelt next to the prone form, pressing two fingers to the side of his neck to check for a pulse. He let out a relieved breath when he found a strong, steady beat. The situation wasn't quite as grim as it could have been. His medic instincts taking over, he quickly set to work assessing Robbie's injuries. When Tommy joined him, he had compiled a list of injuries in his head and was analyzing which ones he could do something for.

"Broken leg, head injury, some broken ribs and other internal injuries," he listed to Tommy. He chewed his lower lip in concern and glanced skyward again. "Got some internal bleeding, too. May have punctured a lung. Rescue better hurry up and get their asses out here."

Tommy started to reply, but was cut off by a low moan. Jason quickly leaned in and called out to Robbie, who slowly opened confused, pain filled eyes and looked around. "Hey there, Rob," Jason greeted with a reassuring smile. "You know you're supposed to use the bridge to get  
across the valley, right? Jumping just doesn't work, unless you're Superman."

Robbie blinked, then chuckled painfully. "T-thought it was a good...idea at the t-time," he whispered.

Jason smiled warmly and squeezed Robbie's hand. "Just hang in there, bro. Help is on the way. Tommy and I are going to do what we can in the meantime to get you ready." Robbie nodded and Jason dug around in his pack and pulled out some water, followed by the strongest pain killers they had been permitted to bring. Tommy helped Robbie drink, then Jason administered the pain killer. "Wish we had something a little stronger, but this will have to do," he said apologetically.

He looked at Tommy, who nodded and started asking Robbie questions about friends and family in an effort to keep the injured man awake and aware, while at the same time assisting Jason in caring for the injuries as best they could. By the time the rescue chopper finally arrived, they had Robbie ready and waiting to be rushed to the hospital.

As Robbie was airlifted to the waiting chopper, the rescue worker who had joined them on the outcrop and had examined their work with a critical eye and hand, turned to them with an impressed smile. "That was some fantastic work, boys!" he praised. "Couldn't have done it better myself!"

"Jason did most of the work," Tommy replied with a proud smile at Jason. "He has army medic training."

"Couldn't have done it without you, bro," Jason answered, running a weary hand through his dark hair, then smiled as he realized that they had actually worked together without any kind of a breakdown in their teamwork. Tommy was grinning, having come to the same realization. As  
they looked at each other, both knew that something in their friendship had shifted, and their bond had just gained strength.

The grand prize, as well as the tournament, was as good as theirs.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

The wilderness survival weekend and doubles tournament were both great successes and, to celebrate, Jason and Tommy took their girls out for a double date. Jason's relationship with Trini had really taken off since that day he had 'discovered' her Ranger identity. They spent as much time as they could with each other and, for reasons he didn't quite understand, Jason felt an almost constant need to be in physical contact with her. Maybe it was the electric charge he felt every time he touched her, making his heart skip a beat and flooding him with desire, a stronger reaction than he'd ever had with a girl before. He'd experienced desire before, for sure, but never that extra charge that excited him so much. The growing tension after each encounter only increased his anticipation, and to judge from the expression in Trini's eyes and the way she would lean into even the slightest touch, she had to be experiencing the same feelings.

The date hadn't gone quite as Jason had expected. He hadn't anticipated, when he agreed to the night out, that being under their friends' supervision had meant keeping physical displays of affection to a minimum. He had spent most of the evening wanting nothing more than to get Trini alone so he could do naughty things to her and, from the amused looks Tommy had kept shooting his way, his desire had been no secret. Tommy's teasing annoyed him, but it did little to dampen his spirits. And when he and Trini finally parted ways with their friends, when they were finally alone, he couldn't help but pull her into his arms and kiss her heatedly.

When they finally parted, Trini giggled a little breathlessly and said, "Been waiting long for that?"

Jason rolled his eyes and nuzzled her neck before murmuring, "Been waiting for a whole lot more than that, but that'll hold me till I can get you somewhere more private."

Trini made a small noise as Jason nipped at her ear before responding with, "My parents are home, what about yours?"

Jason grinned widely, letting her go so he could take her by the hand and lead her to his car. "Won't be home for hours."

As soon as they reached the privacy of the house, Jason pulled Trini back to him and sealed his mouth to hers. Slowly, never breaking the kiss, he walked her backwards into the living room until her legs bumped against the couch. His hands roaming all over her and his tongue warring with hers were all the encouragement she needed to lie back so that he was partially on top of her. She was every bit as eager as he was, her hands gliding over his arms, his back, his shoulders, and leaving sparks of sensation in their wake. One of his hands slipped past the hem of her shirt to caress the bare skin underneath.

Trini moaned softly, and the next thing he knew she was tugging at his shirt. He took the hint, breaking off the kiss long enough to pull his shirt off and toss it aside. Trini's own shirt quickly joined his on the floor, then their mouths rejoined as their hands eagerly returned to roaming.

This wasn't the first time they had engaged in a heated make out session, but it was the first time Jason attempted what he did next. He had been using one arm to prop himself up so he didn't crush her beneath him, while the other gently kneaded one of her breasts through her bra. Now he trailed that hand down her stomach, over her hip, and then between her thighs. Trini gasped and broke off the kiss, her legs clamping tight around his hand.

"Jason," she breathed, looking at him uncertainly.

"What? What's wrong?" Jason asked, voice husky and a little rougher than usual.

"Jason, I-I'm not sure..."

Jason smiled in understanding, freeing his hand to gently caress her cheek. "It's okay," he whispered. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you." He gave her a soft kiss, and when she seemed a little bit less tense, he said, "I know you're not ready for sex and I've told you I'm more than willing to wait till you are. But at least let me show you how good the other stuff can be."

He nuzzled her ear and she sighed, letting her eyes drift closed. Encouraged, he moved to her neck and then to her mouth, drawing her back into a deep kiss. When he felt her body relax, he let his hand start moving again, though he kept to her upper torso until he sensed that she was completely at ease. Only then did he let his hand drift down her body and between her legs, where he started to gently rub her through her jeans. This time, Trini didn't panic. Instead, she moaned into his mouth as she dug her fingers into his bare back.

Wanting much more, he moved his mouth to her ear, nipping the lobe before whispering, "Do you trust me?" At Trini's nod, he slowly undid her jeans, pulling the zipper down to allow him better access before slipping his hand inside and resuming his earlier movements. She arched up against him in response, her knee brushing his groin as she shifted. He groaned and ground his hips against her for a moment, enjoying the friction until he noticed how warily she was watching him.

"Sorry," he muttered, feeling somewhat embarrassed at how quickly he was losing control. Hoping to distract her, he kissed her again while his free hand fumbled with his jeans, trying to get them open to relieve some of the pressure on his erection.

And then it happened.

The sound of the front door opening and closing reached his ears and they sprang apart in surprise as a woman's voice called out, "Jason! Are you home?"

"Shit!" Jason hissed, jumping up and grabbing his shirt, quickly tossing Trini hers before going to intercept their unexpected company. 'What the hell...!'

He reached the hall to discover his 'parents' and 'little brother' taking off their coats and shoes as though they had been out. He glared at them, just barely resisting the urge to take them apart. "Hey mom," he greeted tightly as Trini came up behind him. "You're home early. Wasn't expecting you for a couple more hours yet. Where's dad?"

His 'mother' smiled, resting a hand on his 'brother's' shoulder. "Eric wasn't feeling well, so I brought him home. Your father ran into some old friends and stayed to catch up. He'll be along soon. Hello Trini. How are you, sweetheart?" she asked as 'Eric' headed upstairs and she headed for the kitchen.

Trini smiled back. "Fine, Mrs. Scott, thank you."

"Would you like a snack or something?" Mrs. Scott called from the kitchen.

"No, thank you, I really should be getting home," Trini replied, a hint of regret in her eyes as she glanced up at Jason.

Jason sighed. "Yeah, all right. Come on, I'll drive you."

Trini shook her head. "It's okay, I'll walk. It's not far and I could use the fresh air."

"You sure?" Jason asked as he walked her to the front door. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her gently and whispered, "Sorry we got interrupted."

Trini smiled and kissed him back. "Don't worry about it. Stuff happens, right?"

"Still, I'll make it up to you, promise." They spent a few more minutes saying goodnight, then Trini left and Jason's expression darkened as he turned and stalked into the kitchen. "All right, clay head, what the hell is the big idea?" he hissed.

"Forgive me, young prince," the putty replied. "But Empress Rita has requested your immediate presence at the Palace."

Growling, Jason teleported himself up to the Palace. "Mother!" he called as he stormed into the throne room. "What's so important it couldn't wait a few more hours? I was right in the middle of something!"

"I'm well aware of what you were in the middle of, son, and you can cater to your hormones later," Rita replied calmly, reaching out and laying a gentle hand on his cheek, making him feel immediately calmer. "Right now, we have work to do."

"Work?" Jason questioned. "What work?"

A smile passed Rita's lips. "It's time, Jason."

Jason studied Rita for a moment, then his eyes widened. "You mean...?"

"Yes. No more fooling around. Tomorrow night, you attack the Command Center, which is why I interrupted your evening. We need to prepare you. Zordon _will_try to confuse you and turn you against me." Taking his hand, she turned and led him toward her spell room. "We must meditate and strengthen the bond between us so that he cannot succeed."

Finally! After waiting for what felt like decades, he was at last going to get his chance to use the power he had worked so hard to gain. He was going to take on the Rangers and bring them to their knees. With excitement gripping his heart, Jason followed his adoptive mother into her  
spell room, the door closing quietly behind them.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Jason spent most of the night and all of the following day meditating with Rita and preparing himself for the mission ahead. Having made plans with Tommy for the day, he'd called the Ranger leader to cancel, claiming he had caught whatever it was his 'brother' had brought home the previous night, and asked Tommy to pass the message to Trini that he would call her later. That gave him a nice little alibi for what was about to happen.

He waited until well into the night, when he knew the Command Center would be deserted and Alpha and Zordon would be recharging themselves or whatever it was they did at night. Then, armed with a virus that Finster had made to take care of Alpha, he morphed, bowed to his mother, and teleported to the enemy base.

It was dark and quiet when he arrived, the only light coming from the blinking computer consoles as they monitored Angel Grove and deep space. He stayed in the darkest part of the room, searching for Alpha, who was not where he was supposed to be. 'Come on you little rust bucket,' he thought, moving carefully in the shadows. 'Where are you?'

"Who's there?" Alpha's voice suddenly called, drawing Jason's attention to where the little android had appeared, having come from a hallway that Jason knew led to the dorms, training and various storage rooms. His whole focus seemed to be directed on the spot Jason was standing in and Jason suspected he was being scanned by infra-red vision.

"Billy? Zack, is that you?" Alpha asked, taking a step forward then pausing and leaning forward a little. "Wait, who are you? You're not...! Ay-yi-yi! Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

Jason cursed and leapt out of the shadows, the computer disk he had been given in hand. As Alpha attempted to reach one of the computers, Jason grabbed his shoulder and quickly inserted the disk in the little slot on Alpha's back. Almost instantly, his voice was silenced and he slumped over, all the little blinking lights going dark as the virus went to work. For good measure, Jason opened Alpha's back panel and pulled several wires out. Billy would have his work cut out for him when he tried to repair the little android.

There was a quick flash of blue and Jason looked up as Zordon called out, "Alpha? Is something wrong? Why are you..." He trailed off as he spotted Jason and took in the scene before him. Aware that the old wizard had a connection with certain systems, namely communications, Jason calmly took out his blade blaster and shot the communications and teleportation console, effectively cutting the Command Center off from the outside world. He then turned back toward Zordon as the Rangers' mentor began speaking.

"Red Ranger. I had sensed months ago that the Coin had awakened and have been expecting your appearance for some time, wondering who the Coin had deemed worthy to be its holder. I had not expected it to be you, Jason. Rita's magic hid you well."

"I'd been a little worried that it hadn't when I first met you," Jason replied, as if they were talking about nothing more than the weather. "The way you looked at me, it was almost like you knew I wasn't what I appeared to be." He paused, then asked, "Do the others know there's a sixth Ranger out there?"

"No. I had hoped that the Coin's awakening would either not bear fruit, or that Rita's influence would not be so strong and I would be able to detect you and bring you here for a peaceful talk if you did not seek me out on your own."

Jason grinned. "Oh, good," he murmured. "It'll be a fun little surprise for them when I reveal myself to them, then." He tilted his head a little, suddenly curious. "Tell me, if mother's magic hadn't protected me so well, what would you have done that day? You'd have been able to sense right away that I held the power of the Red Ranger, right?"

"Correct, Jason, and I would have offered my help then, as I offer it now."

"Help?" Jason scoffed. "Why the hell would I need your help?"

"Because Rita has you under a powerful spell."

Amused, he leaned against a computer and folded his arms, tilting his head again. "Oh?"

"Yes, Jason. You referred to her a moment ago as your mother. Surely you know this is not the case."

Jason snorted. "Of course I do. But she's been more of a mother to me than my own mother ever was."

"That is not true, Jason. Your mother and father are both kind and loving people. They..."

"Loving people?" Jason interrupted with a bitter laugh. "Oh yeah, they were 'loving people' all right." His voice grew heated as he stalked away from the console, moving closer to Zordon's tube and the console beneath it. "They loved to beat and abuse me every chance they got. If it hadn't been for Rita, I wouldn't have lived to see my next birthday. She rescued me a year ago...took me in, showed me what a _real_ family was. I'd do anything for Rita, including annihilating her enemies! Which means you and your Rangers are toast." He backed away, raising his blaster again and taking aim at another console.

"Jason, stop! Please, you must listen to me! Rita has deceived you. She twisted your mind and gave you false memories of an unloving family in order to tie you to her more effectively. She..."

"Enough!" Jason shouted, all traces of amusement vanishing. "I'm done listening your lies! It's time for you to grace some other dimension with your presence. And don't worry about your Rangers, I'll take real good care of them."

Ignoring Zordon's pleas to stop, Jason opened fire, taking great satisfaction in the destruction he was causing. He'd waited so long for this! It was invigorating watching his enemy's base erupting in flames and, when he could do no more with his blaster, he reverted it to its other form and used the blade to hack up what wasn't on fire, rendering even more of the precious equipment useless.

When he was finally finished, he stood in the center of the ruins, gazing up at Zordon's empty tube with a dark smile. There was one more thing he wanted to do; one more message he wanted to send and Zordon's tube was perfect for it. Hurrying out of the main room and down the hall to one of the storage rooms, he retrieved a can of red spray paint and a ladder. Bringing the items back to the main room, he leaned the ladder against the tube and climbed up where he proceeded to write a message. When finished, he jumped down, knocking the ladder over and returning to the center of the room to check out his handiwork. He nodded in satisfaction. Everything was perfect now. He rather hoped he could be here when the Rangers discovered the destruction but, more than likely, he would be preparing for his first appearance and would have to miss the show.

With a shrug, he pulled out his teleporter device and activated it, leaving the ruins of the Command Center and heading for home.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Despite the late hour, a celebration broke out when Jason reported the successful completion of his mission. Rita laughed in ecstatic delight when Jason told her of the message he'd left, praising him for his creativity and deviousness, causing Jason's heart to swell with pride. If the simple destruction of the Command Center made her this happy, then he couldn't wait until he engaged the Rangers and kicked their asses all over Angel Grove!

"Now Jason," Rita said, drawing his attention back to her as she took his hand and led him toward her throne. "I have a surprise for you." She released him as she moved up to her throne, turning back to face the room. "Gather around everyone!" she called out, getting the attention of the room's occupants. She smiled, gazing down at Jason as she said, "I have a very special gift that I wish to present to my son as a reward for his efforts tonight. Goldar?"

Goldar moved through the crowd, carrying something covered by a red cloth. He ascended the stairs to Rita's throne and bowed to her, offering the object to her. Reaching out, Rita pulled the cloth away, revealing a beautiful, slightly curved sword similar to Scorpina's and looking every  
bit as deadly. "The Red Ranger's own sword was lost some time ago," Rita spoke, locking eyes with Jason. "Since it is unnatural for the Red Ranger to be without a sword, I present to you this perfect masterpiece." She made a gesture, and Goldar turned and moved over to Jason, bowing again and presenting the sword to him.

"Jason, my son, I give to you, the magnificent Sword of Darkness."

"May you spill much blood with it, my Prince," Goldar growled as Jason, eyes filled with awe, reached out and carefully picked the sword up. His eyes closed briefly as a rush, reminiscent of the one he had experienced when he had first morphed, flooded his body and drew a soft gasp from his lips.

'What a wonderful gift mother has given you,' a voice whispered in his mind. 'She has given you much and you will return the favor by destroying her enemies. Her war is your war. Her enemies are your enemies. You are hers, now and always.'

Opening his eyes, Jason took a couple of practice swings with his new blade, testing the weight and balance, enjoying the feel of it in his grip. After a moment, he looked up at Rita and bowed as he said, "Thank you, mother. It's beautiful and I'll use it to serve you well."

Rita stared into Jason's brightly glowing red eyes and smiled.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Tommy sat in English class, only half paying attention to the lecture. It was the last class before lunch and he was itching to get out and talk to his friends. He'd been jumpy all morning and couldn't figure out why, which usually meant something bad was going to happen. He glanced at the empty seat next to him where Jason usually sat, wishing his friend was there. Jason had such a calming influence on him, something that Tommy could have really used right then but, unfortunately, Jason was still recovering from whatever it was his little brother had given him and wasn't expected back for another day or two.

When the bell for lunch finally rang, Tommy all but raced from the room and out into the hallway, searching for his friends. He spotted Zack and Trini at Zack's locker and could tell right away that his two close friends were feeling just as uneasy as he was. Tommy reached them at the same time as Billy, the little group glancing around warily before Tommy asked, "Do you guys feel it, too?"

"If by 'it' you mean that feeling like your stomach is riding a roller coaster you really wanted nothing to do with, then, yeah, been feeling it since I got up this morning," Zack replied as Billy and Trini nodded agreement.

"Rita must be planning something huge if we're all feeling like this," Trini murmured as Kim joined them, nervously chewing her lower lip. Obviously realizing what the conversation was about, she said nothing, glancing around warily as if expecting Rita herself to jump out at them at any second.

"Maybe it's that person that Scorpina mentioned," Zack murmured. "I mean, it's been what, two months since she gave us that ominous little warning? Maybe we're finally going to get to meet this bad ass."

"I was hoping that was just talk," Kim muttered. "Scorpina is a big enough bitch as it is, I'd rather not meet someone worse than her."

"Couldn't agree with you more," Trini replied with a shiver as she remembered her own encounter with the scorpion woman. "Maybe we should check in with Zordon."

"Can't," Billy spoke up. "Not for the next few hours at least. Remember, we were informed that communications would be off line while they ran a systems upgrade." He glanced at his watch. "They should be finished by the end of the school day."

"Okay," Tommy murmured. "We'll wait till then to try and check in. In the meantime, let's get some lunch and try to get through the rest of this day without having heart attacks or something."

PRPRPPRPRPRPRPR

Naturally, the remainder of the day crawled by and, when it finally ended, Tommy just barely restrained himself from pouncing on his communicator and attempting to contact the Command Center. He waited until they were all gathered in a quiet spot at the park, telling himself he was being unnecessarily paranoid and that everything was probably just fine before finally making the call.

The only response was static.

"It was a pretty big update," Billy spoke up calmly before anyone could panic. "It's entirely possible that they aren't done yet. We should go to the Youth Center, wait a couple more hours, then try again." The suggestion did nothing for Tommy's nerves, but he agreed to it and the  
group made their way to the Youth Center to kill the time the best they could.

When two, and then three, hours went by with no change, Billy started to actually get concerned and suggested they teleport to the Command Center to check on things. The others nodded in agreement and hurriedly found a private place in which to teleport.

Nothing happened.

"Billy..." Tommy started to question, stopping as Billy shook his head, worry filling his green eyes.

"Teleportation wasn't supposed to be affected, and even if it was, there was a backup plan in place just in case. We should be able to teleport right now." He fidgeted nervously, then added, "I really don't like this, guys."

"How are we supposed to get to the Command Center without teleporting?" Zack asked. "It'll take forever to walk."

There was a moment of uneasy silence, then Billy's eyes lit up. "The Rad Bug!" he exclaimed.

Tommy smiled tightly and nodded. "Good idea. Come on, let's get going."

Luckily, Billy didn't live too far from the Youth Center, and the teens managed to make it to his place unchallenged and in record time. Billy forced himself to keep the little car at the speed limit until they reached the outskirts of Angel Grove, then picked up speed and took to the  
air. Silence reigned in the car, each lost in their own thoughts while Billy concentrated on avoiding detection by other aircraft in the sky. The last thing they needed was a midair collision or for someone to track them to the Command Center's location.

At last, the Command Center came into view and Billy prepared for landing. "Hold on guys," he murmured as he carefully guided the car to the ground, parking it where it wouldn't be seen. Hurrying up to the front entrance, they hunted around for a few minutes before finding the access panel that allowed them entrance into their base.

It was eerily silent as they made their way through the long corridors toward the main operations chamber, the feeling of something wrong growing with each step they took. It was just as the door to main chamber was coming into sight that Zack paused, sniffing the air. "Hey, you guys smell that?"

The others stopped, frowning as they tried to identify the scent. "It kind of smells like..." Billy started, then his eyes widened in fear and he ran for the door with a cry of alarm. The others quickly joined him in forcing the heavy door open, stumbling back and coughing when smoke began pouring out. Covering their mouths, they entered the chamber, horrified by what they saw. The room looked like a bomb had gone off inside. All the consoles were nothing but smoking ruins, the floor littered with various wires and blackened components. A motionless Alpha stood dark and silent near the communications console, his access panel hanging open. But the worst, most frightening part was Zordon's tube.

It was dark and empty and scrawled across it in blood red letters were the words, 'See you soon, Rangers.'


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the massive delay! Had some vicious writing block that I finally managed to get around. Yay! Hopefully, the next parts will come out a lot faster than this one. Much thanks for the comments! They are deeply appreciated.

Also, I'm looking for a role play partner. Specifically, someone who can play a strong Tommy to my Jason and isn't afraid of getting into adult material (Het, not slash, though I am willing to discuss it if that's your thing). I have several story ideas that I'm dying to play out with someone. If interested, PM me and I'll give you details.

As always, much thanks to Griddlebone for the wonderful beta job!

Part 6

Tommy carefully climbed down from the ladder and looked up at Zordon's empty tube, now free of the horrifying message left by the intruder, and wished that his mentor was simply in one of the places he went when he wasn't needed. Wished that he would materialize now and guide them through whatever horror show Rita was starting now. But he knew that wasn't going to happen. For the first time since becoming Rangers, they were on their own. This was to be their first real test in putting into practice all that Zordon had taught them. _His _first real test.

And he was terrified.

As their leader, the others would be looking to him for guidance and, ready or not, he had to put aside his own fears and make sure they all got through this ordeal. That was what a leader did, after all. He watched out for his teammates...kept them going and kept them alive.

Even if he had to give up his own life to do it.

Tearing his eyes away from the dark tube, he turned to check on the others. Kim and Zack had been working to clean up the mess that the computers had been left in, trying to determine what, if anything, was salvageable. They had made separate piles of what was no longer useful versus what was. To Tommy's dismay, the useless pile was far bigger than the useful. Whoever had trashed the place had definitely done a thorough job and Tommy wondered how they were ever going to get the Command Center back up and running again with what they had been left with.

At least the Zords hadn't been touched. Thank God for small mercies.

His gaze moved to where Billy and Trini were busily working on Alpha. Something else to be thankful for. The intruder could very easily have completely destroyed Alpha and made things that much worse. Having Alpha up and running would be an immense help. Especially if he could tell them who had been responsible for causing so much harm.

"How's it coming, guys?" he asked as he moved over to them to check on their progress.

Billy didn't look up from Alpha's back panel, where he was buried elbow deep in circuitry, quietly muttering to himself as he worked. It was Trini who replied. "It's going well. He's had to completely rewire a lot of Alpha's circuits, and may need to do some repair work on his programming, but we're not going to lose him."

A relieved smile crossed Tommy's lips. "Good to hear. You know when he might be up and running? We're going to need this help to get this place operational again."

Trini shook her head and looked at Billy, about to question him, when the Blue Ranger suddenly jumped and let out a startled exclamation.

"You okay, Billy?" Tommy asked as Kim and Zack came over to see what had happened.

Billy glanced up and nodded. "Yeah, sorry, crossed a wire I shouldn't have," he replied sheepishly. "But," he added, turning his attention back to the mess of wires in Alpha's back. "I think I've found his memory banks." He pulled his hands out and stood. "Be right back." Turning, he hurried off down the hall that led to their dorms, leaving the others looking at Trini, who only shrugged. She had no idea what their resident genius was up to.

He returned a few minutes later with one of his home built mini computers and proceeded to link it up with Alpha. "I'm hoping to be able to get the image of the last thing Alpha saw before he was sabotaged," he explained when he glanced up and saw the perplexed looks on his friends' faces.

Tommy's eyes lit up at that thought. "Would sure be a lot of help if we could get a look at who we're facing ahead of time," he murmured, glancing around the ruined Command Center and trying, unsuccessfully, not to look up at Zordon's empty tube. He hated not knowing who his enemy was, especially in their line of work, where knowing nothing could be fatal. His attention was drawn back to Billy as the other boy started muttering to himself and pressing buttons. When he frowned, Tommy's heart sank.

"What is it, Billy?"

Billy sighed. "I've got an image, but it looks like the virus he was infected with messed up his memory banks." He pressed some more buttons and a holographic image of a Ranger jumped out. "This is the last image his memory recorded, but, as you can see, it's just one of us. The virus must have scrambled his memory to prevent what he actually saw from being revealed."

Tommy cursed quietly. "When I get my hands on this guy..." He trailed off and jumped with the others as Alpha abruptly jerked as he started to come to life. He shot a look at Billy, who smirked a little and shrugged as he continued making some adjustments before pulling his hands out and shutting the door to Alpha's panel. Moving around to the front of the little robot, he pushed some buttons and Alpha sputtered to life.

"Intruder! Intruder alert!" he squealed and the Rangers quickly backed away as he started shuffling around frantically.

"Alpha! Alpha!" Billy shouted, grabbing the android by his shoulders and giving him a little shake. "Alpha's, it's us!"

The frantic movement and squealing stopped as Billy's voice reached Alpha. He looked around at them all, then exclaimed, "Oh, Rangers, I'm so glad to see you! We have an intruder! You..." He stopped as he got a look at the ruined Command Center and the dark tube that normally housed Zordon. "Ay-yi-yi! What happened? Where is Zordon?"

"We don't know," Billy replied sadly. "We were hoping you might have some clues, but you were given a virus that's scrambled your memory banks."

Alpha made a surprised noise and went still for a moment before exclaiming, "Ay-yi-yi! You're right! I have no recollection beyond there being an intruder! Oh Ay-yi-yi! This is terrible! What are we going to do?"

"The only thing we can," Tommy replied with heavy sigh. "First thing we need to do is get the Command Center operational again. And the first part of that is surveillance. Rita could be attacking the city right now and we wouldn't know. Then we need teleportation and communications followed by the lesser systems."

"Wait, what about Zordon?" Zack protested. "Shouldn't he be a priority?"

"I really hate to say this, believe me I do, but no," Tommy replied. Seeing the anger flash through his second in command's eyes, he hurried on. "Think about it, Zack. Think about how Zordon would react...what he would want us to do. As Rangers, our first priority is to Earth. As soon as we get the Command Center up and running and things under control, we'll start the search for Zordon."

Knowing that Zack was about to continue the argument, Trini stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "Tommy's right, Zack," she murmured. "Please don't make this harder than it is. Rita expects us to fall apart without Zordon and we can't let that happen." She turned her  
gaze on the rest of the Rangers, eyes flashing. "We have to remain united. Show Rita that she can't, and won't, beat us."

Any argument that might have been boiling to the surface fizzled out at Trini's words as they looked at each other, drawing strength from one another. Sensing the silent agreement, Tommy murmured, "Let's get to work."

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

They decided it would be best if they spent the night at the Command Center and do as much as they could, before their civilian responsibilities forced them to leave. Billy, however, declared that he would remain through the school hours and continue working with Alpha since his current status afforded him the ability to miss a few days here and there. Kim and Zack took the Radbug back to town to pick up supplies and make arrangements with parents so that no one would freak out and, when they returned, they were delighted to learn that surveillance had been restored and everything seemed quiet.

"Uh, not that I'm not grateful or anything, but is anyone else wondering _why _Rita didn't take advantage of our, well, blindness and start attacking full force?" Zack asked, tearing his eyes away from the Viewing Globe to look around at the others.

"I was thinking the same thing," Tommy replied. "The only answer I can come up with, is that she wants us to meet her new warrior or whatever and is giving us time to get our eyes back. This," he gestured around the Command Center, "was a scare tactic. By not taking advantage of our current state, she's trying to scare us even more so that, when we finally do meet the bastard who did this, we'll be intimidated...thrown off." He gave them all a steely look. "But it's not going to work. When we meet him, we'll engage him like we would any other enemy Rita has set after us. We'll that show that bitch what true Rangers are. That she's not going to take us down without a serious fight."

Zack looked toward the Viewing Globe, actually hoping to see a rampaging monster for once. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm _dying _for some pay back," he declared, the others nodding their agreements with determined looks at Zordon's empty tube.

Silence fell as each retreated into their own thoughts for a moment, wondering who their new enemy was and what would happen when they finally met him. More than one thought of Zordon and hoped that he was okay, wherever he was, and that they got him back soon. He'd become such a huge part of their lives and none of them wanted to lose him. Life without him didn't seem possible, and none were ready to face life without him.

Abruptly coming out of his thoughts, Tommy looked at his friends, certain that each of them were thinking the same things he was. And now was not the time for it. "Come on, guys," he said quietly, turning away. "Let's get back to work."

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

It was late afternoon the next day when it finally happened. The four who had been forced to leave for the day had just returned to Billy's triumphant cry after having, at last, restored communications and were having a little mini celebration when the alarm went off. As one, all  
attention was turned to the Viewing Globe, and more than one raised their eyebrows at what they saw.

"What the hell is that?" Zack finally voiced what they were all thinking.

On the Globe, running amok in the park and cackling madly, was a creature no more than three feet tall, with a white beard and plump cheeks wearing a red, cone shaped hat.

"It...sort of looks like one of those decorative garden gnomes," Kim said after a moment, a perplexed expression in her eyes.

"I don't believe this," Zack muttered. "It's like she's trying to add insult to injury with that thing!"

"Don't judge a book by its cover, guys," Tommy spoke before an argument could break out. "This thing could have any number of nasty surprises. Let's morph and find out what Rita's up to now. Maybe we'll actually get to meet this mystery fighter of hers."

"I'll continue making repairs," Alpha stated as the Rangers prepared to morph. "Ay-yi-yi! Please be careful!"

"Always are, Alpha," Zack replied, throwing the little android a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"I hope so, Rangers," Alpha murmured as the humans he had come to consider valuable friends morphed and vanished from the Command Center, heading for a fight with an unknown enemy. He looked up at Zordon's dark tube and sighed before turning his attention back to his work, making sure to keep an eye on the Viewing Globe.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

They arrived just in time to stop the strange little creature from terrorizing a group of school kids. Getting between it and the running kids, Tommy fired a warning shot at the Gnome's feet with his blaster and said, "All right, Tiny, that's enough. Why don't you pick on someone who  
can fight back?"

The little Gnome gazed at Tommy, then looked behind him to where the other Rangers had gathered. "You speak of fighting fairly, Green Ranger?" it asked in a high, squeaky voice. "There is only one of me and five of you! How is that fair?" It glanced around again, then its huge eyes lit up in a way Tommy really didn't like. "I know!" it exclaimed. "I'll just even the odds!"

Tommy took a cautious step back and prepared to dodge if he had to as the Gnome started to shimmer and glow. The light grew in intensity until it burst in a bright display of color. When the light faded, Tommy cursed quietly. The Gnome had multiplied, creating four copies of itself.  
Grinning, the quintet said in unison, "Now this is much better! One of me for each of you! But you'll have to catch me first!" Then, cackling gleefully, each Gnome turned and ran off in different directions.

'Damn!' Tommy thought. 'This isn't going to end well.' Sighing, he looked at his friends and called, "Everyone pick a Gnome and go after it. But keep your comm units open! The last thing we need are to be down Rangers, understood?"

Everyone nodded and quickly switched on their internal comm units, doing voice checks before each took off in the direction of a Gnome. Tommy watched them go, silently praying they all remained safe, then turned and ran after his own.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

'Hm, if I were an animated piece of garden decoration, where would I go?' Billy thought. He was currently in another section of the park, having chased his quarry for the better part of ten minutes before losing him and was attempting to puzzle out where it could have gone. His searching gaze came to rest on of the little gardens spread out among the park, and he raised an eyebrow. 'Would it really hide somewhere so obvious?'

Taking out his blaster, Billy cautiously moved toward the garden, wary of any traps that his presence might spring. He paused when he heard giggling and looked in the direction it had come from, aiming his blaster as he did. "All right," he called. "Come out, now and face me."

There was a pause, then the high, squeaky voice of the Gnome clone answered. "But why would I do that? You seek to harm poor little me!"

"Only because 'poor little you' seeks to harm my planet for Empress Rita!" Billy shot back, still trying to spot where the Gnome was hiding.

"I cannot help what I was created to do!" the Gnome protested. "And maybe...maybe I don't wish to harm your planet!"

Billy raised an eyebrow at that. "If that's true, then come out and we'll discuss it," he challenged.

There was another pause, followed by some rustling, which Billy quickly trained his blaster on. "Put your weapon away first!" Billy hesitated, wondering about the wisdom of that move. If the Gnome was telling the truth, then showing a little trust would go a long way. But if it wasn't...

Billy sighed and holstered his weapon. "All right, come out and we'll converse about this situation peacefully."

There was more rustling, then the Gnome sprang from the garden with a surprisingly fierce screech, ramming himself into Billy and knocking him off balance and to the ground. The Blue Ranger let out a yell of pain as the little creature bit his leg! With a curse that was very unlike Billy, he lashed out and struck the Gnome in the side of the head. With a squeak, it jumped off Billy, who took a few seconds to rub his sore leg before getting to his feet and turning to pursue the treacherous little garden rat.

And stopped in shock at what waited behind him.

Standing several feet away from him, with the now much smaller Gnome perched on his shoulder, pointing at Billy and sobbing out some nonsense was..."A Red Ranger? But...what?"

The Red Ranger chuckled. "I expected more out of the brains of the outfit. You know, a little techno babble about they're only being five Rangers and you were never told about a sixth and this must be some sort of trick, etc., etc."

Billy shook himself and looked at the other Ranger more closely. "I'm inclined to agree that this _is _a trick. Zordon would have told us about the presence of another Ranger."

The Ranger chuckled again, the little Gnome on his shoulder cackling along with him. "You sure about that, Blue? Cause he told me differently right before I sent him on his little vacation. Tell me, you get the place half way decent yet? Get that little rust bucket working again?"

Billy tensed. Whether he was looking at an actual Ranger or an illusion, this was likely the cretin who had broken into the Command Center and caused all their current pain and suffering. It was probably best that he call in the others. Taking his comm link off mute, he said, "Tommy, come in. I have a serious situation here." He frowned as his call was met with silence and tried again. "Tommy, come in. Rangers! Can anyone hear me?"

He looked up as the Red Ranger laughed again. "Sorry, Blue, but we're blocking communication so each of you can experience the surprise unspoiled. It's like Christmas. No fun peeking at the gifts ahead of time."

Giving up on the comm link, Billy took up a defensive stance. "I think you and I have very different opinions on what constitutes as a pleasant surprise."

Red Ranger shrugged and looked at the Gnome, who immediately vanished. "To each his own, right?" he said, just before he attacked.

He was fast and vicious. Billy was hard pressed to keep up with the Ranger, who was obviously a natural, and very well trained, fighter. What made it even worse, was that his red colored enemy seemed to know Billy's moves better than Billy himself did. 'He must have studied me,' he thought as he frantically defended against a flurry of fast and hard moves. 'He must have studied _all _of us before making this move and who know for how long.' He let out a cry of pain at a particularly fierce blow that sent him to the ground hard. He quickly rolled out of the way of another blow, coming to his feet and dropping into a ready stance.

'I'm in serious trouble,' he thought as he took in the curved sword the Ranger was now brandishing. 'I can't fight him on my own. I should retreat...find the others before he ambushes them, too.'

He tensed as the Red Ranger suddenly laughed quietly, causing chills to run up and down his spine. "I can tell what you're thinking, Blue, even with the helmet on. Strategic retreat...try to find your friends to even the odds because, let's face it, I'm the better fighter here. You can't beat me and you know it." He paused, tilting his head a little and giving Billy the distinct impression that he was being studied like a bug under a micro-scope.

'I think I'll give up any interest in the study of insects,' he thought as he summoned his Power Lance, not wishing to face that deadly looking sword unarmed. His focus was drawn back to the Red Ranger as he continued speaking.

"You know, I really can't see why the old man picked you to be one of his little toy soldiers. I mean, look at you. You're no fighter. You're a _scientist_. It's the _Power _that gives you the ability to fight, if you can call what you do fighting. It's the Power that controls all the moves you make. Nothing of that is you, you know?" He snorted and shook his head. "You don't belong on the field, Blue. You belong in the Command Center, safe and sound with that little tin man playing mission control. It's amazing you haven't been killed yet."

Billy shifted, ignoring the taunt. He had already faced his insecurities about being a Ranger. More than once. He recalled a conversation he had once had with Zordon where he had basically stated the same thing. Zordon had looked at him with such confidence and pride and had told him that having skills in combat was not the only thing required to be a Ranger. One also needed heart and the determination to fight for freedom against oppression in any manner available to them.

"Physical combat may not be your strength, Billy," the old Wizard had said. "But that does not make you any less of a warrior than your teammates. The weaknesses and strengths that each of you possess complement each other and are what make you one of the finest Ranger teams I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. _You _are one of the finest Rangers I have ever known, and I would not change my decision for the world."

Billy smiled fondly at the memory. That night had helped him a great deal and the words of some cretin posing as a Ranger weren't going to take that away. Instead of obsessing over words meant to harm, he instead focused on the real threat. "And I suppose you're the one who is going to change that? You're the one who is going to end my life?"

"Got it in one," Red Ranger replied, twirling the sword and letting it slice through the air. "But," he added lazily, "lucky for you, that won't be today. Today is just a little lesson. And as much as I'd like to keep teaching you yours, I need to end this now. I have four more appointments to keep and it would be rude to keep them waiting."

Billy just barely managed to block the sword strike, and the second half of the fight was on. He put all of his concentration into it, drawing on the lessons he had taken from Tommy and Jason, determined to give this so called Ranger a run for his money. He _wasn't_ going to go down easy! The fight went on for several minutes before Billy managed to land a strike that sent the Red Ranger to the ground with a surprised cry. He was back on his feet almost instantly and, as they slowly circled each other, he said, "Not bad, Blue. There may be hope for you yet. But, I really do need to end this now, so..."

Billy didn't even see the Red Ranger move, but he sure felt the pain from the multiple strikes to the chest, which sent him to his knees, weakly gasping for breath. There was a flash of light and he groaned, then blinked as he realized he had powered down. Before he could do anything about it, however, clay hands grabbed him roughly and pulled him to his feet. He tried to struggle but the putties held him fast. He glared at the Red Ranger, who chuckled and said, "Remember, this is just a lesson. You won't be dying today, but I do need you out of the way, so..." He nodded sharply and the world around Billy vanished.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

Zack scowled as he crashed through the woods, following the surprisingly fast little Gnome. It seemed to delight in leading him on the chase, constantly disappearing and reappearing, like it was playing Hide and Seek with him. It was a game that Zack was starting to find irritating.

As he entered a small clearing, he stopped and shouted, "All right, enough! I'm through playing games you little troll! Come out and fight!"

"Troll!" an indignant voice squeaked back. "I'm no troll! I'm a Gnome! There's a difference you know!"

"Right now, I don't care if you're a freaking pixie! Get your ass out here and face me!" Zack shot back, carefully scanning the area for any sign of the annoying pest.

"Why should I come out? It's not me you have to face, after all."

Zack frowned, growing uneasy. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, senses on full alert for a sneak attack.

"It means the Gnome was a decoy," a new voice said and Zack spun around, eyes widening when he saw who had spoken.

'It can't be!' he thought, staring at the Red Ranger that stood a few feet away from him, leaning casually against a tree, arms crossed. 'Zordon never said anything...'

His confused thought trailed off as the Red Ranger laughed quietly and said, "Right now, you're thinking the exact same thing Blue thought. 'How is this possible? Zordon never said anything about a sixth Ranger! This must be a trick!' Blah, blah, blah. Unfortunately, it's no trick. I'm a real live Ranger with a Power Coin and everything. Your buddy Blue found that out the hard way."

Zack tensed at the implication and quickly activated his comm unit. "Billy, come in," he called softly. When he got no reply, he repeated his request a little louder. When he still got no answer, he cursed and tried the others. "Tommy, come in! Guys, I have a bad situation here! Can anyone hear me?"

Zack scowled and turned his attention back to the Red Ranger when he laughed again and said, "No one can hear you, Black. Like I told Blue, we're jamming your communications. Makes it more fun when I introduce myself."

Giving up on communications, Zack took a defensive stance. "Where's Blue?" he demanded. "You better not have hurt him!"

Red Ranger snorted. "He's healthy," he replied. "Little bruised, but healthy. I'm not looking to kill any of you at this point in time. This is just an introduction. Death will come later."

"I've heard that one before," Zack scoffed. "I've lost count of how many monsters and creeps like you have tried killing us. Had some close calls, I'll admit, but lo and behold we're all still here. What makes you think you're any different just because you're a Ranger? _If _you even are a Ranger and not just some monster in disguise."

'Dammit!' he thought. 'I've got to find the others. If Billy's been captured, then we can't waste time!'

"I assure you, I'm no monster. I'm the real deal," Red Ranger replied, pushing away from the tree and standing up straight. "I understand your skepticism, though. I'm aware of just how many enemies have tried to kill you and, after a while, even I would get bored hearing it again and again. But you know what? You know what makes me different from all those other enemies?"

Zack's hands curled into fists and he adjusted his stance as he said, "I know I'm going to regret this, but what?"

Zack never even saw the Red Ranger move. One second, he was standing in front of the tree, and the next, he was behind Zack, Blade Blaster in dagger form pressed against Zack's back. Zack froze as the Red Ranger leaned in and whispered, "I'm competent," right before he lashed out with a blow to Zack's ribs that sent the Black Ranger reeling. Recovering quickly, Zack turned and met Red Ranger's onslaught. 'Man, this guy is good!' he thought as he was forced to go on the defensive. 'He's as fast as Tommy!' They fought in silence for a few minutes before Zack was thrown to the ground by a hard kick to the chest that actually knocked the air out of him. Instead of attacking him while he was down, however, Red Ranger started talking again.

"Still think I'm a fraud? You could always ask Zordon if I'm really the real deal." Amusement filled his voiced as he added, "Oh, wait, you can't can you? I sent him off to Never, Never land while I was destroying the Command Center."

Zack froze. "You...?"

Red Ranger nodded. "Me. And it was fun. The old man begged me not to do it. He even called out your name, wondering where you were to help him. Bet that just kills you inside, doesn't it? That you weren't there to help your mentor? You weren't there for Blue either and he *really* could have used your help. How's it feel, Black, knowing you let two people you care for down?"

Zack got to his feet, trembling with rage at the taunts. Red was right. It _did_ kill him that he hadn't been there to save Zordon or back up Billy. But it wasn't his fault, dammit! Red was just trying to mess with his head and throw him off and he wasn't going to let it happen. "I know what you're doing and it's not going to work!" he growled. "Play all the head games you want, but you won't beat me like that!"

Red Ranger chuckled. "Oh? What about if I do this?" He snapped his fingers and, in a flash of light, several Putties appeared, holding a bound and gagged Billy, who they forced down on his knees.

"Billy!" Zack exclaimed. "What are you up to?" he demanded, looking back at Red. "Let him go!"

"Sure," Red replied with a shrug. "All you have to do is beat me and he's all yours."

Billy started making frantic noises and shaking his head, the Putties tightening their grip on him. Zack ignored him, glaring at Red Ranger through his helmet, as he dropped into a ready stance. "Bring it!"

Red bowed to him, then darted forward and the fight was on again. Zack focused all of his energy and attention on his enemy, calling upon all the skills he had. He wasn't going to let Billy down! And he sure as hell wasn't going to let the attack on their mentor go unanswered!

The fight went on for several minutes before Red suddenly burst out laughing, much to Zack's bewilderment. "What the hell's so funny?" he demanded as he blocked a high kick and moved to take advantage of an opening, which his opponent quickly dodged.

"You," Red replied with another laugh. "You're so pissed off, you don't even realize how sloppy you've been fighting. I could have taken you down eight times by now if I'd wanted to!"

Zack paused, blinking in surprise. Was that true or was Red just trying to rattle him some more? "Then why didn't you?" he asked as he struck out again and resumed the fight.

"Oh, I just thought I'd let you think you actually had a chance against me. In reality, though, you're about to join Blue over there and I'm going to go introduce myself to those two lovely lady friends of yours. I'm looking forward to Pink, in particular. She's your leader's girl, right?  
She'll make a great message to the great Green Ranger."

"You keep your filthy hands off her, you creep!" Zack shouted, increasing his efforts. "Don't you dare touch either of them!"

Red Ranger laughed as he easily blocked Zack's strikes. "And who's going to stop me? You? You're going to be too busy sitting on the sidelines with Blue over there to be of any help."

Red's demeanor suddenly changed and, before Zack could even think of replying, he found himself under a vicious barrage of kicks and punches. They came so fast and hard, that he could barely defend against them and then, suddenly, he found himself flat on his back, the air knocked out of him. When his vision cleared and he could breathe again, he attempted to get up, freezing when he found a sword poised directly above his heart.

"Sorry, Black, but this fight is over," Red Ranger said. "I really do need to be getting on to the others. Don't worry, though. For what it's worth, you'll get a chance for a rematch."

Before Zack could say or do anything, a Putty appeared next to him and, the next thing he knew, he had powered down and was being pulled roughly to his feet by two more. He started to struggle, stopping immediately when he felt the tip of the sword press against his throat.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Red said softly and Zack glared hatefully at him.

"You won't win!" he spat out. "You may wear the uniform of a Ranger, but you'll sure as hell never be one!"

Red Ranger chuckled coldly. "Aww that hurt. Allow me to return the favor."

Zack barely registered the fist coming at his face, then he knew no more.


	7. Chapter 7

.Much thanks for the comments! They are deeply appreciated.

Also, I'm still looking for a role play partner. Specifically, someone who can play a strong Tommy to my Jason and isn't afraid of getting into adult material (Het, not slash, though I am willing to discuss it if that's your thing). I have several story ideas that I'm dying to play out with someone. If interested, PM me and I'll give you details.

As always, much thanks to Griddlebone for the wonderful beta job!

Part 7

Trini had been led to the far west side of the park, where a currently empty basketball court stood, and was wondering where her quarry had disappeared to. It was strange that it was hiding from her. Usually, the monsters Rita set against them were all too eager to show themselves and attack them. It was making her a little nervous, especially since the Gnome had split itself up and forced the Rangers to separate. Why had it done that? What was Rita up to? She really didn't like being separated from the others, all things considered. She chewed her lower lip as she carefully scanned the area for any sign of the little Gnome and was just about to call the others when, suddenly, it darted out of some nearby bushes in a fit of giggles, running past her as she jumped out of the way.

"Hey!" she shouted, turning to follow. "Come back h..." She trailed off, eyes widening in surprise when she found she wasn't alone. Standing several feet away, the Gnome peeking around his legs and giggling, was what appeared to be a Power Ranger. A red one.

He bowed to her and said, "Greetings, pretty lady. Nice day, isn't it?"

The words jogged Trini out of her stupor. Her hand moved to her blaster, though she didn't draw it as she said sharply, "Who are you?"

The Red Ranger chuckled. "You know who I am."

Trini raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure we've never met before."

He laughed again and moved toward her, stopping when she took a quick step back, hand gripping her blaster. "Easy, Sweetness, if I'd wanted to hurt you, I'd have done so already. As for who I am, come on now, you're nearly as smart as Blue is. Put two and two together. What do you come up with?"

Trini's quick mind didn't need much more prompting than that. She drew her blaster, keeping it trained on him. "It's you. You're the one who broke into the Command Center. The one who..." She trailed off, swallowing back the emotion that rose at the thought of Zordon.

"The one who sent Zordon on his little vacation?" Red finished for her, seemingly unconcerned that she had a weapon aimed at him. "Bingo. Took Blue and Black a little longer to catch on. Please tell me you're not going to stand there and blubber on about how I'm not a real Ranger. That I'm some monster in disguise trying to trick you. As hard as it must be for you to accept, I'm very real. Have a Power Coin and everything. Oh, and before you start frantically calling for the others, we're blocking communications so that I could have some special alone time with each of you. Go ahead, try to call them. I'll wait."

Trini stared at him for a moment, making no move to activate her communicator. She knew, instinctively, and by the way he had just spoken about Billy and Zack, that he was telling the truth. "What have you done with Billy and Zack," she finally demanded.

He burst out laughing and clapped his hands. "You really are as smart as Blue, aren't you. Far prettier than he is, too. Don't worry, Sweetness, they're fine. No one is going to die today. I've been waiting for this for far too long to let it end too quickly."

"Why?" Trini asked, ignoring the little pet name he had given her. "You're a Ranger, you're supposed to be on our side. At least, you would be if you were a true Ranger."

Red made an irritated noise. "Don't be so naive!" he snapped. "Not all soldiers are the same. Rangers are no different; you're bound to encounter some on the other side. Like me."

"Did Zordon know about you?" Trini asked. Since he wasn't attacking her and seemed to be talkative, she decided to try to get as much information as she could. Maybe Kimberly and Tommy would come looking for her and the three of them could, perhaps, capture him.

"Yeah," Red replied, his tone once again conversational and slightly amused. "He was fully aware that I was around. Tried to talk me into joining your side. Obviously, that didn't go over well."

"Why didn't he tell us?" Trini asked, speaking more to herself than to him.

Red shrugged. "Beats me. Was a pretty stupid thing to do, though all things considered." He paused and glanced around, then said, "Listen, Sweetness, I would love to hang out with you all day talking...among other things, but I still need to introduce myself to Pink and your big bad leader before they realize there's something more going on than a crazy Gnome running around."

"In case you've forgotten, I've got a weapon trained on you," Trini replied. "You move and I'll shoot!"

Red snorted. "Seriously?" he laughed. "You really think you can take me down with that?" He took a step forward and held out his arms. "Go on, take your best shot."

Trini knew she was going to regret it but, knowing a fight was inevitable anyway, she tightened her grip on the blaster and took the shot. As she fired, he shot forward, ducked and rolled, and came up, kicking the blaster from her hand and following it up with a sweep to her legs, bringing her to the ground. She tensed, expecting another blow, only to be surprised when he backed off, allowing her to get to her feet.

"Well, now that that's out of the way..." He bowed to her in the formal way of the martial artist and then took up a fighting stance. "Whenever you're ready, pretty lady."

Trini regarded him warily, certain she was being set up somehow. But she knew she had to fight him. This stranger had already taken down Billy and Zack-according to him anyway-and, if he got past her, Kim and Tommy would be next. He might claim that no one was dying today, but that didn't mean that no one would be seriously hurt. Obviously, she could do nothing to protect Billy and Zack at this point, but she sure as hell could keep this guy from getting to Kim and Tommy!

Since her opponent was observing the 'niceties' of combat, Trini returned the formal bow, then took a stance of her own. "After you, hot shot."

Red Ranger snickered. "You're too kind." He darted forward and she quickly moved to meet him, starting a fast paced fight that she was determined to win. After a few minutes of exchanging blows and dancing around each other, he suddenly laughed and said, "Has anyone ever told you that you move like a Goddess? There are _so_many things I'd rather be doing with you right now."

"Dream on, lunatic!" Trini snapped back, blocking a punch and retaliating with a kick to his midsection. "I'm taken!"

"And is this lucky man worthy of you, I wonder?" Red replied, attempting a sweep of her legs. She jumped over the sweep, rolled and came up ready for another strike.

"He'd be a thousand times the Ranger you could ever be!" she growled, aiming a blow to his ribs.

He caught her wrist, however, and pulled her to him, pressing their bodies tightly together. Her eyes widened beneath her helmet, chills of foreboding racing down her spine. "That sounds like a challenge," he breathed.

Anger and fear for Jason filled her and, breaking the grip he had on her, she lashed out with a hard kick and spat, "Don't you _dare _touch him!"

"Ooo, such fire!" Red purred grabbing her foot and throwing her back. "You are so sexy when you're angry!"

Trini glared beneath her helmet, quickly recovering her balance and taking another stance. She said nothing as the pair circled each other, knowing that she had to get herself under control or she would lose this fight. She took a few deep, calming breaths, then launched herself at the Red Ranger, intending on engaging him with a fresh assault.

Red Ranger, however, appeared to have other plans. As Trini tried a kick, he grabbed her leg, pushed it down, then grabbed her arm and pulled her to him again, this time with her back pressed tightly against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, trapping her against him. "Sorry, pretty lady," he murmured. "We're going to have to pick this up again later. I don't have all day and really need to move on."

Trini gasped and stiffened as a hand brushed gently against her stomach and continued downward. "No!" she cried out, struggling as fear filled her at the thought of his possible intentions. There was a flash of light and the familiar feeling of powering down, which further intensified her fear and caused her to struggle harder. Abruptly, he let her go and she stumbled forward, right into the waiting arms of a small group of Putties.

Secure in their grip she stared, wide eyed, at the Red Ranger, who held up her Morpher and said, "I'm just going to hang on to this for a little while. I'll give it back before the end of the day. Promise." Tucking it away, he said to the Putties, "Take her to the other two. And be gentle! I see so much as a scratch on her, and we'll find out just how much pain Putties can experience. Understand?"

The Putties warbled in response, and the last thing Trini saw before her world vanished was the Red Ranger walking calmly away.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR PRPRPR

Kimberly knelt on one knee behind a bush, bow cocked and arrow ready to fire, taking careful aim at the Gnome clone she had gotten lucky enough to sneak up on after having chased it around a good portion of the park. It was a slippery little bastard, and she was certain she had broken a nail or two in the process of trying to catch it. Something she was not about to let go unpunished! A tiny smile crossed her lips as she lined up a perfect shot. "Got you now, you little psycho," she breathed and let the arrow loose, watching as it soared straight and true, right for her target. Then said target disappeared in a blur of red.

She blinked in surprise and jumped to her feet. "What the...?" She came out from behind the bush and moved toward the spot where the Gnome had been, eyes darting around the area, searching for her missing target. "Now where...?" There was a giggle from behind her and she spun around, gasping and taking a step back at what she found. Standing several feet away from her, holding the giggling Gnome, was what appeared to be a Ranger wearing a red uniform.

The Red Ranger made a tsking noise and wagged a finger at her. "You're not supposed to hunt in the park, you know. Do you even have a hunting license?"

The Gnome, apparently finding the question hilarious, burst into squealing laughter before making a rude gesture toward Kimberly and then vanishing.

Confusion filling her, Kim asked, "Who are you? What...what's going on?"

"Awww, is the little cheerleader confused?" Red replied mockingly. "Here, let me explain it to you in a way you'll understand." He pointed to her. "You, Pink Ranger." He then pointed to himself. "Me, Red Ranger. Me, Red Ranger, stomp you, Pink Ranger, into the ground. Understand?"

Indignation filled Kimberly and, raising her bow, she nocked another arrow and aimed it at him. "We'll see who stomps whom, pal!"

Red Ranger laughed. "What? No crying out in denial that I couldn't possibly be a Ranger? No jumping on the horn, squealing for your friends to come save you? Not that they could anyway, even if they could hear you."

Kimberly tensed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Red Ranger shrugged. "That it's been a busy afternoon for me. The Blue, Black and Yellow Rangers just couldn't seem to get enough of my company. Rather selfish of them, really, not wanting to share me with you and your leader."

A thrill of fear shot through Kim and she tightened her grip on her bow. "What have you done with them?" she demanded.

Red Ranger sighed. "You know, I'm starting to get bored having this same conversation again and again. They're safe and sound in a holding cell, waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"For when I face your boyfriend. They're going to help me test him. And so are you, Pink Ranger. In fact, you should be honored. You're a very important part of the test."

'I don't like the sound of that,' Kim thought. 'I have to find Tommy and warn him. Especially since this creep is probably the one responsible for the Command Center and Zordon.' "Shove your test, freak!" she shouted and let loose her arrow, not waiting to see if it hit its target. Instead, she reached for her Morpher, planning to teleport back to the Command Center and find Tommy from there.

She let out a gasp of pain as a hand grabbed hers in an iron clad grip and squeezed hard. She looked up to find the Red Ranger just inches away from her. "Nice try, little girl," he growled softly. "But you're not going anywhere."

His fist slammed into her gut, knocking the air from her. He released her and she fell to the ground, gasping and struggling to get her breath back. Distantly, she heard him speaking to someone, saying something about blocking teleportation. A moment later, he grabbed her arm and pulled up. "On your feet, Pink. I may be planning to thrash you, but I'm not without honor. You're going to get a fighting chance, first."

"How...nice of you," Kim gasped out, the sarcasm she tried to put in her voice losing its edge.

Red Ranger chuckled and moved back a few feet, bowing to her before taking a stance. "When you're ready, little girl."

'Dammit!' Kim thought. 'I don't have a choice now. Maybe I can get away...lose him in the forest. If I can do that, then I'll be able to find Tommy and we can put this guy down and rescue the others.' "Fine!" she spat out loud, taking her own stance, watchful gaze never leaving him.

She jumped when he moved suddenly, launching himself at her and aiming a kick for her midsection. She barely managed to block the kick and was immediately forced to go on the defensive as he continued to attack her. 'He's so fast!' she thought. 'I don't know how I'm going to manage to get out of this!'

It felt to her like the fight had gone on for an eternity when he suddenly bombarded her with several hard blows in quick succession that sent her tumbling to the ground. She gasped and rolled out of the way of the foot coming at her, scrambling to her feet just in time to meet a fresh onslaught. 'I can't keep this up!' she thought. 'Come on, come on! Give me an opening!' Out of desperation, her hand found its way to her side arm. She drew the weapon, keeping it in dagger mode and slashed at him, forcing him to back off. She pressed the advantage she had given herself and followed him, forcing him to go on the defensive now.

'If I can just get in one good hit...' Her thought trailed off as the Red Ranger suddenly laughed. "What's so funny?" she asked, not daring to stop her movements.

"You," he replied. "You think you've got control of this fight. That you have a chance. Sorry to have to tell you this, but you're nowhere close to being in control. In fact..." His own dagger appeared in his hand and he struck out, crossing the two blades and locking them together. He leaned in close and hissed, "I've been playing with you. And now I'm done."

Pain exploded in her ribs a second before she was sent flying through the air, landing hard on the ground. She struggled to her feet, only to meet several hard hits to her chest that ended with a crushing blow to her leg. She let out a yell of pain as she fell to the ground again, one hand gripping her leg as the other scrambled to get a hold of her dagger, which she had dropped. Catching sight of a booted foot coming at her head, she shrieked and brought her arms up, letting them absorb the impact before she grabbed his foot and twisted, pulling him off balance and to the ground with her.

Pushing the pain away, Kimberly scrambled to her feet, switching the dagger into blaster form and pointing it at the Red Ranger. She pulled the trigger, but her enemy was no longer there. She screamed as she was grabbed from behind, her struggles cut short as pressure was applied to her injured ribs. She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain, struggling to breathe, and so missed the flash of light that signaled a de-morph. She didn't, however, miss the feeling that came with powering down, and her eyes flew open, fear racing through her as she discovered that she was, indeed, back in her civilian identity.

"Wha...what are you doing?" she gasped.

"I told you," came the whispered reply. "You're going to help me test your boyfriend. And for that, you need to be plain old cheerleader Kimberly. But before we go find Green Ranger and start the test, we have to get you ready, first." She shuddered as a gloved finger lightly traced her collarbone. "Prepare yourself, sunshine," he breathed. "This is going to hurt."

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR PRPRPR

Tommy had tracked his Gnome a good distance through the park, but never did catch up with it. Instead, he ran into something much bigger and uglier.

Goldar.

The giant space ape had appeared out of nowhere, challenging Tommy to a fight that had been going on for quite a while now. Tommy was starting to get an uneasy feeling that he was being stalled, and was considering breaking off the fight and returning to the Command Center to call the others in when Scorpina suddenly appeared. The uneasiness he was experiencing grew when all Scorpina did was nod to Goldar, smirk at Tommy and vanish again.

Tommy turned a cautious look on Goldar as the ape laughed and said, "Follow me, Green Ranger. We have a special treat for you." Turning, he took off, clearly expecting Tommy to follow him.

Tommy didn't move. Instead, he activated his Comm Link and said, "Guys, this Tommy, come in." Silence. Frowning, he tried again. "Rangers, come in. Is anyone reading me? Command Center, come in. Alpha?" Still no answer.

He looked up as Goldar called out, "Coming, Green Ranger? You won't want to miss this!"

With a sinking feeling, Tommy cursed softly, then reluctantly followed Goldar. The golden armored ape led Tommy into the forest, glancing back occasionally to make sure the Green Ranger was still following him. Just as Tommy was about to stop and demand answers from Goldar, they entered a large clearing and Tommy froze. Kneeling on the ground, bound and gagged, were Trini, Zack and Billy. Scorpina stood behind them, the smirk still on her lips. When the trio saw him, they all started trying to speak through their gags, urgent looks in their eyes. Clearly, they were trying to warn him about something. Possibly involving Kimberly as he did not see her among them.

Forcing himself to remain calm, he turned his attention to Goldar. "All right, Goldilocks, what do you want? Where's Kimberly?"

"She's waiting to make an entrance like the little starlet that she is," a new voice said.

Tommy spun around, taking a few steps back and then quickly positioning himself so that he could keep an eye on everyone. He took in the newcomer, not quite believing what he was seeing. "Who are you?"

"Who am I?" the stranger repeated. "Well, let's see," he added slowly, crossing his arm and taking on a 'thinking' stance. "I wear a uniform like yours, only red so...maybe I'm the Red Ranger?"

"No, that's not possible," Tommy replied, shaking his head. "Zordon would have told us if there was another Ranger out there."

The Red Ranger laughed. "You sure about that?" He nodded toward Trini. "Like I told Sweetness over there, he was very aware that I was around. That night when I trashed the Command Center, he told me he'd been waiting for me to show up. He also confirmed that he hadn't said a word to any of you. Which is what made this day so much fun for me."

At the mention of the Command Center, Tommy's hands curled into fists at his side. Instead of rising to the bait, though, he said, "All right, you've had your fun screwing with us. Let my friends go and get Kimberly here, now."

Red Ranger chuckled. "You're not exactly in a position to be making demands, Green. I'm not done screwing with you yet. I will, however, let you see your precious Pink. Scorpina!" he called. "Bring little Pink out."

Scorpina nodded sharply. "Yes, young prince," she replied and vanished, Goldar quickly taking her place as guard.

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Prince?"

"Oh yeah," Red Ranger replied, a smirk in his tone. "Empress Rita is my mother."

"Mother!" Tommy exclaimed and then snorted. "Who'd be crazy enough to father kids with _her_?"

"I'd consider that an insult to my Father if I had one. But, considering Mother adopted me and we're not related by blood, I'll just make you pay for the insult to her," Red replied calmly, the barest hint of amusement in his voice. "Starting with that," he added, nodding back toward the other Rangers.

Tommy turned his gaze back to them and found Scorpina was back, but no sign of Kim. "Well?" he called. "Where is she?"

"Right behind me," Scorpina answered, turning to watch something behind her.

Tommy's heart nearly stopped as he watched two Putties drag a limp and beaten Kimberly into the clearing, dropping her in front of the other three, all of whom started struggling and calling through their gags. Goldar and Scorpina immediately pulled their swords and the trio went still, staring at the unmoving form of the Pink Ranger. Tommy's fists clenched tightly as rage and fear raced through his system. He started forward, only to find his way blocked by the Red Ranger.

"Sorry, Green, but we're not done here, yet. You want her...you want any of them, then you have to beat me, first."

"Gladly!" Tommy snarled and launched himself at the vile excuse for a Ranger. He put all of his fury, fear and strength into his attacks as he kicked and punched, flipped and rolled. All he could see was Kimberly, lying bloody and still on the ground and his friends tied up and helpless, their lives threatened. He was their friend...their leader. Their lives were his responsibility and he wasn't going to lose to this bastard!

The problem was that every move Tommy made was easily countered by the Red Ranger, and by the time Tommy finally realized that he was getting nowhere, he had already wasted a lot of energy. And it quickly became apparent that the Red Ranger knew this as well, and had no problem taking advantage of it. As soon as he found the slightest opening, he hurled Tommy forcefully to the ground and stood over him, shaking his head and making a 'tsking' noise.

"You disappoint me, Green," he said. "Here I thought you were a seasoned fighter, a true warrior, but you've gone and let anger and fear cloud your head. You're not scoring very well on this test, you know."

"Test? What are...you talking...about?" Tommy asked as he struggled to his feet and tried to catch his breath.

The Red Ranger crossed his arms, and Tommy got the distinct impression that he was rolling his eyes. "Come on now, you can't be _that _dense! You're the leader of the famous Power Rangers! The fierce and mighty Green Ranger! I'm a Ranger from the other side of the tracks. Do you really think I'm not going to test your abilities as both a fighter _and_ a leader? You're not making a great impression so far, _Tommy_. A leader can't let his emotions get the best of him, no matter how much he may care for the one he's fighting to save."

"This coming from a Ranger from 'the other side of the tracks,'" Tommy scoffed. "You sure don't talk like one of Rita's goons."

"Which is why you're going to lose," Red Ranger replied, a smirk in his voice that had Tommy bristling. "I'm _not _one of Mother's goons. I'm a Ranger, like you. A fighter, like you. Which makes me the most dangerous enemy you've ever faced."

"You may be a fighter," Tommy replied, taking a stance. "But you're no Ranger!" He launched into another series of attacks, which the Red Ranger met with a fierceness that surprised Tommy. It seemed that the other Ranger was done messing around and had decided to get serious.

As they fought, a strange feeling of familiarity overcame Tommy and he wondered about it. 'Why do I feel like I've fought this guy, before?' he thought. He didn't have time to ponder it, however, as the fight suddenly escalated and Tommy found himself in one of the hardest fights of his life. It was all he could do to defend against the vicious strikes that came at him in rapid fire succession and it didn't help matters that his strength was starting to fail him. 'Can't let him beat me!' he thought, the image of Kimberly flashing through his mind. 'I have to end this and get Kim back to the Command Center!'

Unfortunately, just seconds after that thought crossed his mind, a kick made it through his defenses and slammed into his chest, sending him crashing to into a tree. The Red Ranger was on him instantly, raining powerful blows down on him so fast and hard, that Tommy felt like a punching bag. His instincts screamed at him to fight back, but he couldn't muster the strength to do so. With his body unable to maintain his Morphed form, he was forced into a power down, but the Red Ranger didn't stop. He continued his assault until Tommy was barely aware of his surroundings.

He didn't even really notice when the blows suddenly stopped, but he did notice when he was grabbed roughly by the hair and pulled forward a little, the Red Ranger's voice hissing in his ear, "Today was a warning, Green Ranger. You can't win this time. Not against me. I can take you down anytime, anywhere. But you're going to suffer first. By the time I'm through with you, you'll be begging for death." He paused, then added, "Oh, and one more thing. You really should reconsider dating teammates. All I had to do to get to you was to go through _her_. You'd best keep an eye on her. I may decide to play with her again if I get too bored."

Before Tommy could consider replying, pain exploded in the back of his head, and everything went dark.


	8. Chapter 8

Much thanks for the comments! They are deeply appreciated.

Also, I'm still looking for a role play partner. Specifically, someone who can play a strong Tommy to my Jason and isn't afraid of getting into adult material (Het, not slash, though I am willing to discuss it if that's your thing). I have several story ideas that I'm dying to play out with someone. If interested, PM me and I'll give you details.

As always, much thanks to Griddlebone for the wonderful beta job!

Part 8

He was floating in peaceful, quiet darkness. It was a rather nice change of pace from how his life had been lately, and he just wanted to stay and float in the quiet abyss forever. Well, maybe not forever, but for a while anyway...

"Tommy?"

He sighed as a familiar voice reached him in the darkness. Zack. Couldn't he leave him be just a while longer?

"Tommy...come on, bro, it's time to wake up."

Hm. Zack sounded worried. Maybe it was best that he go find out what was going on. He could always come back to this pleasant little place later. With another put upon sigh, he began making his way in the direction Zack's voice had come from, pausing occasionally until Zack called to him again to make sure he was still going the right way. When he saw faint light up ahead, he started for it, only to falter and back away when the pain started.

"Tommy," Trini's voice said. "I know it hurts, but you have to wake up. We'll give you something for the pain, but not until you're fully conscious. Come on...you can do it."

Tommy tried moving closer again but, once more, the pain make him back off.

"No, Tommy," Trini called. "You must wake up. We need you...Kimberly needs you."

Kimberly. There was the magic word. If Kim needed him, then he wasn't about to let some stupid pain hold him back. Nothing would ever keep him from the Pink Ranger... Gathering his strength, Tommy pushed forward, forcing himself to endure the pain as he got closer and closer to the light...

With a soft moan, he slowly opened his eyes. Two blurry forms were above him and he blinked rapidly, bringing them into focus. Trini and Zack. They both smiled in relief and Zack said, "Tommy, glad you're finally awake. Man, you had us worried! That head injury was nasty!"

Tommy blinked, trying to process what Zack had just said to him, then frowned when he noticed the ugly black eye his friend was sporting. "Z-Zack...what happened to your eye?" he whispered, wincing at how raw his voice sounded.

Both Zack and Trini's expressions darkened. "The Red Ranger," Zack answered as Alpha appeared with a glass of water, which Tommy gratefully accepted, closing his eyes when he was done as he listened to Zack. "Remember? We each got to spend some...personal time with him. Everyone's okay aside from some bruises here and there. You and Kim got the worst of it."

Memories of seeing Kim beaten and bloody flooded Tommy's mind. His eyes flew open and he quickly tried to sit up, only to gasp in pain as his injuries protested. "Whoa, whoa! Easy, bro, it's okay. Lay still for a moment," Zack said, putting a hand on Tommy's shoulder and applying gentle pressure to keep Tommy down.

"Kimberly!" Tommy rasped.

"Will be okay," Trini finally spoke up. "She looked a lot worse than she was," she added when Tommy's gaze moved to her. "He didn't want to kill any of us this time. He wanted to scare us...to humiliate us. To show us that he could take us down by using our love for each other." A strange, far away expression filled Trini's eyes and Tommy frowned, wondering what she was remembering.

"Trini?" he asked gently, reaching out and lightly taking her hand. "You okay?"

Trini blinked and seemed to shake herself out of her reverie. "Yeah," she murmured, pulling her hand away. "I'm fine."

Tommy and Zack traded glances, neither one believing what the Yellow Ranger said. "Trini," Zack said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Seriously, what is it?"

The trio had drawn Billy's attention and the Blue Ranger joined them with a concerned expression. "Trini?"

Trini sighed, crossing her arms and rubbing her eyes wearily. "I'm just...confused, I guess," she murmured. "I mean, look at all of you! The Red Ranger injured each and every one of you in some way, but he didn't leave a mark on me. In fact, he even threatened the putties when they were taking me away that if he saw so much as a scratch on me that he would destroy them." She looked at the three boys with wide eyes. "Why would he do that? Why would he _say_ that?"

"To get to you...in a different way." The group looked up at the whispered words and found Kimberly watching them from the other bed.

"Kim!" Billy and Zack quickly helped Tommy sit up and then stand. When he got his balance, he carefully made his way over, slowly lowering himself into the chair that had been placed next to the bed.

Kim smiled faintly as Tommy took her hand. "I'm okay," she whispered to him, squeezing his hand gently. Her gaze moved back to Trini and she said, "He didn't hurt you physically like the rest of us because it wasn't the best way to hurt you. The best way to hurt you is spiritually, not physically."

"And the best way to hurt you spiritually, is by leaving you unharmed while physically harming the rest of us," Billy summed up.

"Dude is seriously into the head games," Zack added with a scowl.

Tommy nodded in agreement with Zack's observation. The Red Ranger certainly did seem to enjoy getting into Tommy's head and mixing his brain around. It angered and shamed Tommy that he had actually allowed it to happen. He was supposed to be trained to resist that kind of enemy tactic. So what was it about Red that had allowed him to so easily break through that training?

"Trini?"

His inward focus was drawn back outward at Zack's question and he looked toward where the Black Ranger was looking to see Trini lost in deep thought. Likely replaying her fight with Red in her mind and trying to sort through her confusion…

_A few hours earlier:_

_Trini's heart pounded as she watched Tommy's fight with the Red Ranger.__She knew that the bastard was playing with her friend, like he had played__with all of them. He was using Tommy's emotions against him, something__that shouldn't have worked against the well trained Green Ranger. Others__had tried that tactic with Tommy before and had failed simply because they __hadn't done it right. Tommy used his emotions to help him in fights. They__made him stronger, especially when the feelings being manipulated were for__his friends. The Red Ranger, however, had done something no one else had__done before.__He used Kimberly.__Sure, others had tried using Kimberly as well, but only through__kidnapping, terrorizing or putting her under weird spells. None had ever__physically harmed her before.__But _he_ had.__As Trini stared at the unmoving form of her best friend, desperately__wanting to touch the Pink Ranger and confirm she was alive for herself__despite the Red Ranger's assurances that she was, the part of her mind__that wasn't in full on panic knew that Tommy wasn't going to win this __fight. She could tell from the way he held himself...from the tone of his__voice that he was no longer thinking straight. The emotions that had__helped him so many times were now betraying him. She closed her eyes,__unable to watch the vicious beating her leader was taking, listening to_

_the muffled cries of her friends.__Finally, after was seemed like an eternity, it was over. She opened her __eyes to find Tommy laying unmoving on the ground and the Red Ranger __walking toward them. He knelt down in front of her and held up her __Morpher.__"Your Morpher, as promised," he said, laying it down in front of her, then __standing and moving around behind her. She just barely managed to keep __herself from jumping as his voice murmured in her ear, "I'm going to untie __you now so that you can look after your friends. I'm going to give you __guys a few days to recover and...think about things. Though don't think I __won't be close by, watching. I've been watching you for a long time,__after all. I look forward to when you and I meet again.__Say hi to Jason for me."__  
_  
Trini pulled herself out of the memory. It was a good theory, but Trini didn't think Kimberly was right. Her mind played back her encounter with the Red Ranger once more, going over the obvious advances he was making...the way he'd reacted when she had mentioned Jason. What he had said to her when he had given her back her Morpher... She'd had, and still did, the distinct impression that that last comment had been meant specifically for her and, if she was completely honest with herself, it frightened her. Had she become the target of a twisted love obsession? Was Jason in danger for being her love interest? Wait… Her eyes widened and cold feeling developed in the pit of her stomach. She hadn't truly comprehended the last thing Red had said to her before vanishing. She'd been too busy struggling to remain calm as she tended to her friends. But now, as she thought about the encounter with a clearer head, what he had said struck her with the force of a freight train.

He'd said Jason's name!

He'd known during their fight that she was involved with someone and he'd known exactly who that someone was. He'd only been playing with her, as he had the entire fight!

"Oh God!" she whispered, a shaky hand rising to cover her mouth.

Her friends exchanged concerned looks and Zack quickly reached out and grabbed her arm in a supportive grip. "Trini, what's wrong?"

"Jason!" Trini exclaimed, starting to panic. "He knows who Jason is!"

Confused looks met her frightened proclamation, which just agitated Trini further as she repeated, "Red knows who Jason is!"

There was a few seconds of silence, then Zack said gently, "Trini...Jase isn't a Ranger. Red has no reason to go after him. Not while he has us to torment."

Trini shook her head, grabbing onto Zack so tightly that he winced. "You don't understand! During our fight, Red...well...he was making advances on me," she admitted. "I stupidly told him I was involved with someone, to which he made a veiled threat. I never said Jason's name, but when he was cutting me loose, he said to say hello to Jason for him. He knew about Jason all along! Why would he say all that if he didn't intend to hurt him?"

"Trini," Tommy said, carefully standing and making his way over to the frightened Yellow Ranger. "Calm down, okay? He was messing with you, like he was messing with the rest of us. Don't worry," he added when he saw the protest forming. "We won't let anything happen to Jase. We'll keep a close eye on him and warn him to watch out for this guy."

"I have him on the Viewing Globe, Trini," Alpha spoke up, drawing their attention. "As you can see, he's perfectly safe."

Sure enough, on the Globe was an image of Jason, laying on his couch and watching TV. Trini closed her eyes and let out a little sigh of relief. She opened them and looked at Tommy when he said, "Trini, you're exhausted. Why don't you go home and get some rest? I think it's safe to say that Kim and I will be spending the night here since we sure can't go home looking like we are. Zack, Billy, what are you two going to do?"

"I'll be staying here," Billy predictably said. "I want to get all systems up and running so that we can start searching for Zordon. There's still a lot to do."

"I'll stay and help," Zack replied. "I doubt I could sleep much anyway."

Trini hesitated, glancing around at all the work that still needed doing. Before she could say anything, however, Tommy put a gentle hand on her cheek, making her look at him. "Trini," he said softly, "Go home. That's an order. Get some proper rest and come back in the morning. We'll be okay here."

Trini looked at the others, who all appeared to be in agreement with Tommy. She sighed and nodded. "Call me if you need anything," she murmured.

"See you in the morning," Tommy replied, gingerly hugging her before stepping back and letting Alpha teleport her out.

She reappeared in a spot close to her house and hurried on, arriving in just a few minutes. She took a moment to compose herself, then entered, calling out but receiving no answer. Frowning, she headed into the kitchen, where she found a note on the fridge.

_'Trini. Aunt Jeannie went into labor! Your father and I have gone to stay__with her and Bobby for a few days to help out. I'll call you tomorrow.__Love, Mom.'__  
_  
A faint smile crossed Trini's lips. Her mother's youngest sister was expecting her first child and both she and her husband, Bobby, were nervous wrecks. Trini had known her parents would likely go help out when the time came, but she sort of wished that her Aunt could have held off a little longer. The way she was currently feeling, she could have used her mother's comfort. On the other hand, her parents being away just might be a little more convenient given the circumstances. Trini wasn't entirely sure that she wouldn't break down and tell her parents everything given her current state of mind.

With a tired sigh, Trini turned and headed upstairs to her room, looking forward to crawling into bed and going to sleep for a very long time. She turned on her bedside lamp, then started to turn toward her dresser, stopping when she spotted something laying on her pillow. She took a step closer, then froze, eyes widening. Lying on her pillow were two roses, a red and a yellow, entwined together. She took a couple of steps back, quickly looking around her room, expecting the Red Ranger to melt out of the shadows and attack her. It was only after she hit the wall that she suddenly realized that she was breathing too fast and was going to hyperventilate. She closed her eyes and forced herself to slow her breathing, calm down and think.

The Red Ranger had been in her room, further cementing her theory that she was an object of some twisted desire. Frightened and not feeling at all safe, she pressed some buttons on her communicator and teleported, blinking in surprise when she found herself outside Jason's house instead of the Command Center. Desperately wanting to feel his arms around her, she hurried up to his door and rang the bell, a little afraid that he wasn't going to answer. But he did, smiling when he saw her standing there.

The smile faded when she looked at him, concern filling his dark eyes as he asked, "Trini, what's wrong?"

Trini's face crumbled as the events of the last couple of days crashed over her and, with a sob, she threw herself into his arms, clinging to him tightly. She didn't remember Jason bringing her inside and sitting her on the couch, and she only vaguely remembered telling him everything from the discovery of the Command Center right up to what she had found in her room.

Jason held her close the whole time she was talking and, when she finished, his grip tightened as he whispered to her, "I'm so sorry, Sweetness. I wish you had called me. I could have helped."

Trini froze as his words penetrated her mind. She stared at the floor for a moment, before very slowly pushing back and looking up at him. "What...what did you just call me?" she whispered, looking at him searchingly. Surely he didn't just call her that...

Jason frowned. "I called you Sweetheart," he replied slowly. He reached up and gently touched her cheek. "Baby, you're exhausted and wound way too tight. Wait here okay? I'm going to make you some tea. It'll help calm you down."

Trini brought her knees up to her chest, resting her elbows on them as she dragged her hands through her hair. Tremors made their way through her body as she struggled to control her emotions. What Jason had said, or hadn't said, had struck her hard and she was pretty sure that she was on the edge of an emotional breakdown. Everything that had happened in the last couple of days was too much too fast. Her overwhelmed mind was playing tricks on her. The very idea that Jason could possibly be the Red...

She pushed the thought away, refusing to entertain such a ridiculous notion. Jason would never _ever_ do something so dreadful. He was a good man...a good friend...

"Okay, here we are." She looked up as Jason came back into the room, carrying a cup on a little plate. He sat down next to her and carefully handed her the tea, saying, "This is my mom's special tea. Should calm you down in a few minutes."

"Thanks," she murmured, taking the cup and gingerly sipping the hot liquid. She took note of the odd taste, wondering what Mrs. Scott put in her tea to make it 'special.' She didn't ask at the moment, though, instead just silently sipping and enjoying the warmth that was slowly spreading in her stomach. After several sips, the tea started to take effect and her nerves started to settle. She sighed softly and looked at Jason, smiling faintly.

"Thank you," she murmured. "This has helped a lot."

"It's probably the bourbon more than anything else," Jason replied as little grin on his lips as he held up a small bottle of the liquor. Trini stared at the bottle, then let out a soft laugh which made Jason's grin grow. "That's what I like to hear," he said, taking the cap off and taking a sip of the liquor. "Mmm, that's good," he murmured, looking at the bottle before putting the cap back on and setting it aside. He sat back, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. "Feel better?"

"Yeah," Trini sighed. "Still scared out of my mind about what the Red Ranger might do, but yeah."

"Like I said, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I don't care if I don't have power like you and this Red Ranger. He so much as scratches you, I'll tear him apart."

At those words, Trini's mind flashed back to the end of her fight with the Red Ranger.

_"Take her to the other two. And be gentle! I see so much as a scratch on__her, and we'll find out just how much pain Putties can experience.__Understand?"__  
_  
'It's just a coincidence,' she thought, pushing the memory aside and looking up at Jason. "It's not me I'm worried about."

Jason leaned down and gently kissed her. "Don't worry about me," he murmured. "I can take care of myself. And if I get into something I can't handle, well, I can always teleport to the Command Center, right?"

That was true, assuming the enemy didn't throw up a block. Trini was too tired to argue, however, and simply nodded. All she really wanted to do right then was sleep. But she didn't want to be alone and she didn't want to go back to the Command Center and worry everyone. Looking back at Jason, she asked, "Could I stay here tonight? If it's okay with your  
parents?"

"Course you can," Jason replied. "I'm actually home alone right now. The folks went to some military thing and won't be back for a few days and the brat is staying with friends. You can sleep in my room, I'll take his."

"No," Trini quickly said, gripping his hand as a moment of irrational panic came over her. Jason frowned and she took a few seconds to push the panic away and get her emotions back in check. "Sorry. I just...I don't want to be alone. Please, Jason?" she added, seeing the understanding followed by uncertainty fill his eyes.

The uncertainty vanished at her quiet plea and he nodded. "Sure. Anything you want." He paused, then said, "Why don't you go get washed up? You're about mom's size. I'll go get you one of her nightgowns so you don't have to sleep in your clothes."

Trini nodded. "Okay," she murmured quietly. "Thank you."

She gave him her empty cup, then stood and made her way to the bathroom. When she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror, she actually startled herself. Was that emotionally wasted image staring back really her?

"Amazing Jason didn't run screaming for the hills," she muttered as she turned on the water and started scrubbing her face. After she had washed up, she found the supply of new toothbrushes Mrs. Scott kept for unexpected overnight guests and brushed her teeth. Just as she was finishing, Jason knocked on the door and she opened to an offering of a white nightgown.

"This should fit you all right."

"Thanks," she replied, smiling a little as she took it. She closed the door and proceeded to change into it, surprised when she found it to be a perfect fit. 'Didn't realize Mrs. Scott and I were the same size,' she thought as she looked herself over.

Leaving the bathroom, she headed for Jason's room, finding it empty but the bed covers turned down in preparation. In her exhausted state, never had a bed looked so inviting.

"Wow." She turned to find Jason, dressed in a t-shirt and boxers, looking at her appreciatively. "That fits you way better than I thought it would."

"Try perfectly," Trini replied with a slightly perplexed smile. "I never realized your mom and I were the same size," she voiced her earlier thought.

Jason didn't reply and they simply stood there, staring at each other. Finally, after a few minutes, Jason seemed to shake himself out of the spell that had descended on them and moved forward. "Come on," he murmured. "Let's get some sleep."

Trini nodded and climbed into his bed, suddenly feeling nervous and wondering if this was such a good idea. But then, Jason slid in next to her, wrapping his strong arms around her and pulling her close, and the nervousness vanished, replaced by feelings of warmth and safety. She sighed before opening her eyes and looking up at Jason, who was smiling impishly back at her. "Gotta say, I rather like having you in my bed."

Trini snorted and rolled her eyes. "Of course you do. You also like having me on your couch and in your car and in your lap at the Youth Center and..." She was cut off as Jason suddenly kissed her. It was soft and gentle and Trini found herself pushing a little closer to him. When they pulled apart, she smiled, licking her lips. "But it _is_ the nicest of locations," she murmured, realizing she had been babbling and that maybe, just maybe, she was still a little nervous.

Which was absolutely ridiculous. There was nothing to be nervous about. This was _Jason_, one of the kindest, sweetest guys she knew. He would never hurt her or try to force her into something she didn't want. The few times it had come up, he'd made it perfectly clear that he was willing to wait as long as it took for her to decide she was ready to advance their relationship. That she was in his bed right then didn't mean that he expected anything other than allowing him to comfort her after the terrible events of the last few days.

"Trini?"

She blinked, realizing that she had been spacing out and refocused her attention on him. "What?"

"You okay?"

Maybe it was the soft way he asked the question, brown eyes filled with concern, or the way he gently touched her cheek sending electric tingles down her spine. Whatever the reason, she was suddenly filled with love, desire. Feeling very impulsive, she answered Jason by drawing him into a deep kiss that quickly grew in intensity. Breathing quickened, bodies pressed tighter together and hands began roaming. However, when one of Trini's hands drifted down past his chest and to the rapidly growing bulge in his shorts, Jason suddenly pulled back and grabbed her hand.

"Trini, wait!" he gasped.

"What? Why?" she breathed back, eyes filling with confusion and maybe a little bit of hurt. "Don't you want to?"

"God yes!" Jason blurted out. He closed his eyes, taking a couple of deep breaths before opening them again and gently bringing her hand up to lightly kiss her wrist. "But do you?" he asked softly. Seeing the confusion growing, he added, "Trini, I'm dying to be with you. It's all I can do to hold myself back right now. But you've been through a lot the last couple of days. You're exhausted and not thinking straight. I'm not going to take advantage of your current state of mind only to have you regret what we did and resent me for it in the morning. I want our first time together to be when you _are_ thinking straight. When you know, without a _doubt,_ that you're ready. Understand?"

Her senses came crashing back to her at his words and her heart filled with warmth and a love that was not born out of lust. "Yes," she whispered, pulling her hand back and sitting up. She took a few deep breaths of her own before looking back at him and smiling. "Thank you, Jason. Not many guys would do what you just did. You're a rare breed that I'm thankful to have in my life." She ran her hand through her hair and then started to get out of the bed, stopping when Jason grabbed her hand.

"Where are you going?"

"To your brother's room. I think it would be better."

Jason, however, pulled her back down, pressing her back against his stomach and wrapping his arms around her. "Don't be ridiculous," he breathed in her ear. "We're perfectly capable of sleeping in the same bed together without our hormones freaking out."

"Y-you sure about that?" Trini murmured, her heart jumping a little as his breath tickled her ear.

He laughed quietly and kissed her neck before settling down comfortably behind her. "Go to sleep, Trini," he whispered. "Things will look a little better in the morning. Promise."

He spoke with such confidence and reassurance that Trini couldn't help but believe him. With a quiet sigh, she relaxed into his strong arms and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep feeling safe and loved.


End file.
